Ruby Wizardry: An Introduction to Programming for Kids

This book is genius! I'm an adult who is just diving into programming, and I'm enrolling in a boot camp soon, so I wanted to do a bit of studying on my own before it started. I have only learned some HTML, CSS and JS before this and was pretty nervous to start learning Ruby. I'm only at Chapter 4, but I absolutely love this book!! The cute stories (ex: learning about control flow by fixing the flow of water in a broken pipe) have made Ruby really fun and approachable. If you're an adult who appreciates programming being broken down step by step and supplemented with memorable anecdotes, don't let the "for kids" throw you off from buying this book!

This book was recommended to me as a start in RUBY programming. I have to say it has live up to all expectations.

This really drags on and can be painful to read. Does cover some advanced concepts such as push, pop, shift, unshift but does not make them enough fun. (circular rotates etc.). Could spend more pages on iteration and functions. Kids like mischief, and there could be more in here.Big fan of Eric's other work so maybe I am missing something. Maybe buy this book and judge for yourself.

Covered all aspects of the language in very straight forward, easy to understand way.

With a simple (yet effective) storytelling style, Ruby Wizardry: An Introduction to Programming for Kids (written by Eric Weinstein, published by No Starch Press) enlightens readers on the basic concepts of programming through Ruby‎, and is engaging and fun enough to captivate and inspire a younger audience. Now, I know that you’re probably wondering how a book on programming can be engaging – but trust me, Mr. Weinstein has got you (and your kids) covered. The book teaches the various aspects of logic and language through an adventure story, and makes for a very entertaining read!The book features two kids, Scarlet and Ruben, who help the King with various problems by using the various computers (or computer-like devices) all around his kingdom. No matter what the issue, Scarlet and Ruben show the King how he can use Ruby to overcome the obstacles in his way! The story is broken up by examples of programs that demonstrate the concepts introduced in the story; readers are encouraged to program alongside the characters, which is a very engaging way to reinforce all of the material. Some of the characters are more knowledgeable than others, but what is really great about this book is that no one character knows everything – everyone in the book learns at least one thing. It’s a very disarming way to get readers to identify with the characters.Ruby itself is a powerful language – yet it is very simple to program in. Processes that take multiple lines of code in other languages are far simpler on Ruby, making it a more natural way to learn programming logic. Through the reading of Ruby Wizardry, readers will learn all about various simple aspects of programming, such as variables, symbols, arrays and strings. Once finished reading the book, readers will also be able to organize code with methods and classes, and will be able to express their ideas in Ruby, whether as single lines of code, or as scripts.The writing in Ruby Wizardry is not very complicated, and is very easy for children to read. While the intended age of the book is for kids 10 and up, my daughter (who is 8) could follow along with the story and began to really enjoy learning some of the concepts that were being taught. More importantly, the writing was easy enough for her to understand enough to ask questions about things that were a little beyond her grasp. I can tell you that she enjoyed the fact that the female characters in the book knew a bit more than their male counterparts. The kiddo also enjoyed the programming examples, and after a few demonstrations wanted to try her hand at running the programs herself. While she didn’t always get it right, the book’s informal and unassuming style doesn’t feel oppressive when mistakes are made. When she erred, she was quick to check the book and get back to her programming. Aside from these small programming demonstrations, there are also larger projects in the book.It’s not hard to see that some kids reading this title will become enchanted while others will become frustrated – though, I suspect the stymied crowd probably didn’t ever really want to program in the first place. Weinstein does a great job with repetition with concepts, and on top of repeating them, he teaches slightly different ways to do things. Not all of these methods will jive with each reader, but chances are good that one of the many ways in which he is teaching will strike a chord. A word of warning: this book teaches a lot of concepts – not necessarily a bad thing, but important to note nonetheless. The PDF of the book that was sent to us to review sits at around 327 pages, and features an introductory chapter on how to install Ruby on your computer, as well as a final section that recommends further resources to reinforce the concepts, and learn new aspects of Ruby!If you’re looking to get your kiddo into programming (or if you’re looking to learn a new programming language), then Ruby Wizardry is for you. Keep in mind that kids younger than 10 will need a little more guidance on the subject – but judging by my daughter's reaction, that might not really be an issue. Eric Weinstein has done a great job creating a learning resource that is both informative and fun, making the act of learning how to program the furthest thing possible from being a chore.

As with JavaScript for Kids, I had no previous knowledge about programming and Ruby. I don’t think I’d ever used it and I sure didn’t know where to start. Ruby Wizardry is an amazing beginner’s guide to programming for kids. I do feel like this is much more kid-friendly than JavaScript for Kids. You’re taught how to work with Ruby through use of a story.It starts with these two kids who help the King find his string necklace, which is where you learn about strings. Then a pipe in his castle bursts. Then you use a train to go to a breakfast restaurant and the train is stuck in a loop. Every single time they encounter a problem, which they then solve with use of Ruby. It’s a really interesting way to learn, because it keeps you -especially kids- involved in the story. And at the end of every chapter, they revise what you’ve learned so far.This is a really kid-friendly way of learning, and it’s a thorough guide as well! I truly learned a lot while going through this. It also gives you links if you need to download something and helps you start up Ruby. If you ever want to teach your kids how to program, I feel like this would be the perfect way!

Programming books tend to be dry and tedious. Ruby Wizardry wraps the basics of the Ruby programming language in a light-hearted story that has a surprise ending. The examples in the book are simple enough to for inexperienced programmers to learn, but at the same time provide a solid foundation for more advance skills. The target audience is younger people, but anyone new to programming will find Ruby Wizardry to be an accessible and fun way to get into Ruby.

Ruby Wizardry is a great book if you looking to get kids into programming. Even as an experienced developer I was surprised to find how engaging this book is. The best part is the independence kids have when reading and working through it. You can watch over their shoulder, but they are really in control and that's what gives them a sense of accomplishment. Nice work!

Value for money. It is costly in bookstores.