Students love to dive into the magical world of stories and fantasies. Imagination is all-powerful, it is more important than knowledge because it sparks creativity and curiosity amongst our little ones. Technology and computer science are about factual understanding, how then can it be made interesting for kids? Parents find it hard to convince young learners about the benefits of coding and therefore many of them do away with not opting for coding classes. As we know, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) curriculum is picking up pace and is mandatory in schools across Dubai and other Middle East regions. So, rather than feeling that computer science is one more burdened subject to learn, children need to be introduced to the fun aspect of it first. Through this Blog, we present some books of literature that can be narrated to children at bedtime to get them excited about the various aspects of coding, right from the age of 4 years.

How to Code a Sandcastle | by Josh Funk (Author), Sara Palacios (Illustrator) (Age 4+ years)

Summer vacation is not yet over and Pearl is set on a mission to build a sandcastle before resuming school. Pearl and her robot friend Pascal seem to love relaxing on the beach and building sandcastles. But every time they plan to construct one, either a dog walk all over it, or a Frisbee disc slams into the sandcastle, ruining the chances of getting the beautiful castle in place. But as we know it, where there seems to be a problem, there has to be a solution. So, Pearl and Pascal try a different method instead! They resort to coding and use concepts like sequencing and looping to break down the sandcastle construction problem into easy steps. Will this plan work? Read the book to find out, and onboard the humorous journey of Pearl & Pascal.

Who Says Women Can’t Be Computer Programmers? The Story of Ada Lovelace | by Tanya Lee Stone (Author), Marjorie Priceman (Illustrator) (Age 6+ years)

Why should men do all the programming, when women are equally competent? Whoever said coding is a man’s job, will get a reality check after reading this book. To all the young women who aspire to make it big in tech fields, must definitely grab a copy of this book. It is a biography of Ada Byron who was a young and talented girl, the daughter of the nineteenth-century poet Lord Byron. Ada loved to study math and science and later worked with Charles Baggage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer. Ada’s contribution includes writing the world’s first machine algorithms for Babbage’s Analytical Engine, 100s of years even before computers existed. Her life is an illustrious example of how women can outshine in the computer science field and prove all stereotypes wrong. You can also check out its Kindle edition access for e-reading across the UAE.

A Coding Mission (Adventures in Makerspace) | by Blake Hoena (Author), Shannon McClintock Miller (Author), Alan Brown (Illustrator) (Age 8+ years)

Rated 4.1 on Amazon reads, this book is fancied by students who appreciate visual graphics. A whole lot of adventure awaits you, as you flip through the pages of this book. Codie and her friends join Ms. Gillian, on a thrilling adventure in Makerspace. They are walking around in circles, stuck in a maze, and can’t seem to find a way out. In all this hush-hush a terrible-looking monster approaches them. Will the monster attack before they find a way to quickly code their way out? Join Codie on her mission and learn more. Students can log-in to the Capstone 4D app and listen to the foot-tapping theme song and watch the author’s interview. How cool it is to fuse Augmented Reality to enhance your reading experience.

Steve Jobs: A Kid’s Book About Changing the World (Mini Movers and Shakers) | by Mary Nhin (Author), Grow Grit Press (Author), Yuliia Zolotova (Illustrator) (Age 4+ years)

Who doesn’t know Steve Jobs and his famous Apple legacy that he left behind? Mini Movers and Shakers is a series of stories that capture snippets of people who have succeeded in life, but also failed many times to reach there. In this book about Steve Jobs, it is said that before he could change the world, he had to face many difficulties and challenges, but never thought of giving up! Little did we know that Steve was an adopted child, but his endeavor to modernize technology was a dream that he rightfully fulfilled. Alongside fun illustrations and interesting characters, this book has a message for all ‘Hard work always pays’. It is indeed a motivational read and a must-have on your bookshelf.

The above are only a few stories that evoke a sense of inquisitiveness among children to explore coding and sign up for it seriously. There are other good books available in the market such as; Women Who Launched the Computer Age by Laurie Calkhoven, Hedy Lamar’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend & Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark, If I Were a Wizard by Paul Hamilton, and so on.

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