The world of DIY electronics is full of so many fun and exciting possibilities. To help you get started, Adafruit has put together a list of some of our favorite books perfect for beginners, students, and educators alike!
Super Scratch Programming Adventure!: Scratch is the wildly popular educational programming language used by millions of first-time learners in classrooms and homes worldwide. By dragging together colorful blocks of code, kids can learn computer programming concepts and make cool games and animations. The latest version, Scratch 2, brings the language right into your web browser, with no need to download software.
In Super Scratch Programming Adventure!, kids learn programming fundamentals as they make their very own playable video games. They’ll create projects inspired by classic arcade games that can be programmed (and played!) in an afternoon. Patient, step-by-step explanations of the code and fun programming challenges will have kids creating their own games in no time.
This full-color comic book makes programming concepts like variables, flow control, and subroutines effortless to absorb. Packed with ideas for games that kids will be proud to show off, Super Scratch Programming Adventure! is the perfect first step for the budding programmer.
Sylvia’s Super Awesome Project Book – Super Simple Arduino is a book written and illustrated by young maker superstar Sylvia. Sylvia’s a kid who loves making, tinkering, and art projects. She’s also the star of Sylvia’s Super-Awesome Maker Show – an online series about STEM concepts with millions of views.
In this book, Sylvia sets her sights on the inimitable Arduino microcontroller with fun projects, clever and easy-to-follow instructions, and whimsical graphics. It’s a great book for young makers and an incredible way to introduce makers of all ages to the wonderful world of Arduino.
Projects include an adjustable strobe and two digital musical instruments with a focus on electronics, coding, science, and engineering.
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Adventures in Raspberry Pi- Second Edition Coding for kids is cool with Raspberry Pi and this elementary guide!
Even if your kids don’t have an ounce of computer geek in them, they can learn to code with a Raspberry Pi and this wonderful book. Written for 11 to 15-year-olds and assuming no prior computing knowledge, this book uses the wildly successful, low-cost, credit-card-sized Raspberry Pi computer to explain fundamental computing concepts. Young people will enjoy going through the book’s nine fun projects while they learn basic programming and system administration skills, starting with the very basics of how to plug in the board and turn it on.
The second edition is updated for the latest revision of the Raspberry Pi Model B+!
Each project includes a lively and informative video to reinforce the lessons. It’s perfect for young, eager self-learners—your kids can jump in, set up their Raspberry Pi, and go through the lessons on their own.
Written by Carrie Anne Philbin, a high school teacher of computing who advises the U.K. government on the revised ICT Curriculum
Teaches 11 to 15-year-olds programming and system administration skills using Raspberry Pi
Features 9 fun projects accompanied by lively and helpful videos.
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Python for Kids – A Playful Introduction to Programming: Python is a powerful, expressive programming language that’s easy to learn and fun to use! But books about learning to program in Python can be kind of dull, gray, and boring, and that’s no fun for anyone. Featuring original artwork by Miran Lipovača. Full color, over 344 pages.
Python for Kids brings Python to life and brings you (and your parents) into the world of programming. The ever-patient Jason R. Briggs will guide you through the basics as you experiment with unique (and often hilarious) example programs that feature ravenous monsters, secret agents, thieving ravens, and more. New terms are defined; code is colored, dissected, and explained; and quirky, full-color illustrations keep things on the lighter side.
Getting Started with Adafruit FLORA Book Pack: Pickup a copy of Getting Started with Adafruit FLORA and then hit the ground running with everything that you need to become an Adafruit FLORA supreme being!
This pack is perfect for somebody interested in the wide world of wearable electronics and Adafruit’s tiny FLORA board.
…This is the most beginner-friendly way to create wearable projects of your own. Using the book as your sensei and the products as your weapons, you’ll learn how to plan your wearable circuits, sew with electronics, and write programs that run on the FLORA to control the electronics. The FLORA family includes an assortment of sensors, as well as RGB LEDs that let you add lighting to your wearable projects!
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Making Things Talk, Second Edition By Tom Igoe – 2nd Edition- Using Sensors, Networks, and Arduino to see, hear, and feel your world. Make microcontrollers, PCs, servers, and smartphones talk to each other.
Building electronic projects that interact with the physical world is good fun. But when the devices you’ve built start to talk to each other, things really get interesting. With 33 easy-to-build projects, Making Things Talk shows you how to get your gadgets to communicate with you and your environment. It’s perfect for people with little technical training but a lot of interest.
Maybe you’re a science teacher who wants to show students how to monitor the weather in several locations at once. Or a sculptor looking to stage a room of choreographed mechanical sculptures. In this expanded edition, you’ll learn how to form networks of smart devices that share data and respond to commands.
…Whether you want to connect simple home sensors to the Internet, or create a device that can interact wirelessly with other gadgets, this book explains exactly what you need.
Make: Lego and Arduino Projects Make amazing robots and gadgets with two of today’s hottest DIY technologies. With this easy-to-follow guide, you’ll learn how to build devices with Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 and the Arduino prototyping platform. Mindstorms alone lets you create incredible gadgets. Bring in Arduino for some jaw-dropping functionality—and open a whole new world of possibilities.
Build a drink dispenser, music synthesizer, wireless lamp, and more.
Each fun and fascinating project includes step-by-step instructions and clear illustrations to guide you through the process. Learn how to set up an Arduino programming environment, download the sketches and libraries you need, and work with Arduino’s language for non-programmers. It’s a perfect book for students, teachers, hobbyists, makers, hackers, and kids of all ages.
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Rosie Revere, Engineer: A beautifully-illustrated tale of a girl and her dream to become a great engineer.
Where some people see rubbish, Rosie Revere sees inspiration. Alone in her room at night, shy Rosie constructs great inventions from odds and ends. Hot dog dispensers, helium pants, python-repelling cheese hats. Rosie’s gizmos would astound—if she ever let anyone see them.
Afraid of failure, she hides them away under her bed. Until a fateful visit from her great-great-aunt Rose, who shows her that a first flop isn’t something to fear—it’s something to celebrate.
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Arduino for Beginners: Learn Arduino from the ground up, hands-on, in full color! Discover Arduino, join the DIY movement, and build an amazing spectrum of projects…limited only by your imagination!
This full-color guide assumes you know nothing about Arduino or programming with the Arduino IDE. John Baichtal is an expert on getting newcomers up to speed with DIY hardware. First, he guides you gently up the learning curve, teaching you all you need to know about Arduino boards, basic electronics, safety, tools, soldering, and a whole lot more. Then, you walk step-by-step through projects that reveal Arduino’s incredible potential for sensing and controlling the environment – projects that inspire you to create, invent, and build the future!
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August is Back to School Month here at Adafruit! Each week we’ll be bringing you a two #BackToSchool posts on the blog! Stay tuned for product and gift guides, tutorials from the Adafruit Learning System, and inspiration from around the web! Get started by checking out Adafruit’s educational resources, such as our kits and project packs, suggested products for young engineers, blog posts for educators and an extensive selection of books to help you learn!
