Programming Games and Animation
Kids Get Coding Series
Alex Westgate (Illustrator)
Lerner Publications
Children’s Nonfiction, Upper Elementary
Publication Date: August 1, 2017
I love finding coding books that appeal to different age groups and that get kids interested in coding. I had a lot of hope for Programming Games and Animation from the Kids Get Coding series, but this book fell flat.
First, the web address in the book takes you to a page
where the links associated with this book say, "Sorry... There's nothing
here!" so any of the activities the book describes can't actually be
completed. If I was a kid, I would be devastated.
Second, the book does do a good job of helping kids plan
out a maze-type game and thinking through different scenarios, but the
"coding" they show doesn't translate into other commonly used types
of coding I've seen. Perhaps it is exactly what kids need for the maze-building
website that has a broken link and is thus inaccessible? But as it currently
is, if kids read this book, they would not be able to apply their knowledge to
other coding formats.
Last, the book covers several coding topics but uses a
rubber duck called "Data Duck" as its mascot. Even when the duck
wears sunglasses, it's still too juvenile for the target audience. Upper
Elementary kids who are excited to learn to code want to be challenged, not
infantilized. Again, I had a lot of hope for this book, but your money would be
better spent elsewhere.
If you’re still interested in reading Programming Games and Animation from the Kids Get Coding Series, you can purchase a
copy here on Amazon.
*A copy of this book was provided free of charge for an
honest review.
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