Python Programming for Beginners by Patricia Foster

Python Programming for Beginners by Patricia Foster ISBN-13: 978-1646113880 Paperback: 198 pages Publisher: Rockridge Press Released: October 20, 2020

Source: review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Think like a programmer with this fun beginner’s guide to Python for ages 10 to 14. Python Programming for Beginners is the perfect way to introduce aspiring coders to this simple and powerful coding language. This book is packed full of fun and creative activities that make learning a blast!

In Python Programming for Beginners, kids will start off with the basics, learning all about fundamental coding concepts and how they can put these concepts together in Python to build their own games and programs. Each chapter focuses on a different coding concept—like variables, data types, and loops—and features three awesome coding activities to try. These activities get more difficult as they go, so young coders can see just how much their skills are growing. By the end of Python Programming for Beginners, they’ll create their own fully functional sci-fi game and crack the code to a secret message!

No coding experience needed! Designed for kids, this Python programming book is filled with step-by-step directions, simple explanations, and detailed code breakdowns. Kids will build their programming skills, learn how to troubleshoot bugs with a handy bug-hunting guide, and practice their Python programming knowledge with cool activities.

Python is an awesome starting language for kids! It’s a powerful programming language that can be used for lots of projects but features simple syntax so beginners can focus on learning programming logic. Set kids up for a lifetime of programming success with Python Programming for Beginners.


My Review:
Python Programming for Beginners teaches the process of coding, specifically how to code in Python. It's targeted at ages 10 through 14 and it's explained clearly enough that it should be understandable to that age range, but it's also useful for adults who want to learn the basic concepts of coding. The author did a good job of showing how to think through what needs to be in the code and how to identify the problem and fix bugs that happen in the code. She taught how to get set up with Python and explained what a certain type (variables, data types, loops, etc.) of code does, how to write it so that it will work, and then showed step-by-step how to use it by coding a simple animation or game. She then walked you through two more projects, each involving progressively more advanced coding, as well as suggested some changes that the reader might try by themselves. By the end, I felt like I finally understood the basics of coding and that I could use Python to create from scratch, not just copy and modify the game code in the book. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.