Looking to add to your collection? Here is a list of books about the computer science

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Computer Science Education Week is the perfect time to spark curiosity about how technology works and inspire future creators, problem-solvers, and innovators. Whether you’re introducing basic coding concepts to young learners or exploring big ideas like algorithms and artificial intelligence with teens, books are a wonderful way to make computer science approachable and fun. This booklist offers engaging titles for every grade level—plus quick activity prompts that connect reading to hands-on learning.

Primary (Pre-K — K)

• Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding — Linda Liukas. A whimsical picture-story approach that introduces coding concepts (sequencing, patterns, debugging) through Ruby’s imaginative adventures and hands-on activities. https://amzn.to/4q1QhbJ

 🧩 Activity: Have students “program” a friend or stuffed animal by giving step-by-step directions (e.g., “move forward two steps, turn left, pick up the block”). Emphasize sequence and debugging when directions go wrong!

• How to Code a Sandcastle — Josh Funk (Girls Who Code) & Sara Palacios. Picture-book story about a child and a robot who break a big task into steps and use simple coding ideas (loops, conditionals) to reach their goal — perfect for read-alouds. https://amzn.to/4q5EfOQ

 🏖️ Activity: Build simple “sandcastles” with blocks or cups. Ask students to describe their building process using words like repeat, if, and then. Introduce the idea of loops (repeating actions).

• My First Coding Book — Kiki Prottsman. Interactive board-book format with pull tabs and flaps that teaches offline coding concepts like sequences and algorithms through puzzles and games for very young learners. https://amzn.to/48M7zCG

🔁 Activity: Create a “coding path” on the floor with arrows or tape. Children follow the arrows using commands like “forward,” “turn left,” and “turn right.”

• Rosie Revere, Engineer — Andrea Beaty & David Roberts. An encouraging, engineering-minded picture book that builds persistence, problem-solving and the “try, test, revise” mindset foundational to computing. https://amzn.to/4pZNWOB

🛠️ Activity: Provide recycled materials and invite students to design a simple invention. Discuss how trial and error — just like debugging in coding — helps us learn.

Elementary (Grades 1—5)

• How to Code a Rollercoaster — Josh Funk & Sara Palacios. Another story in the Girls Who Code picture series that uses an amusement-park adventure to illustrate variables, loops, and conditionals in kid-friendly terms. Great for tying storytime to a short unplugged activity. https://amzn.to/4pZSR23

 🎢 Activity: Use LEGOs or paper tracks to build a “rollercoaster.” Write or draw a short algorithm describing the order of actions (build track → add car → test → adjust).

• Lift-the-Flap: Computers and Coding — Rosie Dickins (Usborne). A hands-on lift-the-flap nonfiction that explains hardware, chips, the internet, and simple coding ideas with puzzles and links to beginner Scratch activities. https://amzn.to/3KScf28

 💻 Activity: After reading, create a “code vocabulary wall” with new words from the book (algorithm, program, hardware). Students draw a matching picture or example.

• Coding Projects in Scratch (DK) — Jon Woodcock (or similar DK title). Step-by-step visual guides that show kids how to build games and animations in Scratch — practical for classroom makerspaces and club meetings. https://amzn.to/4a3NElc

 🎮 Activity: Let students remix an existing Scratch project or make a “library maze” game. Encourage them to plan their code on paper before building it digitally.

• Ada Twist, Scientist — Andrea Beaty. While science-focused, Ada models iterative investigation and computational thinking (asking questions, testing ideas) — easily paired with CS unplugged activities. https://amzn.to/3METQ9v

 🧪 Activity: Have students test a simple question like “Which paper airplane flies farthest?” Discuss how Ada’s curiosity connects to computational thinking — asking, testing, analyzing, and improving.

Middle (Grades 6—8)

• Secret Coders (series) — Gene Luen Yang & Mike Holmes. Graphic-novel series that blends a mystery plot with logic puzzles and basic programming ideas — highly engaging for reluctant readers and ideal for club/book-pair activities. https://amzn.to/3MvjqOj

 💬 Activity: Challenge students with logic puzzles or binary code riddles inspired by the story. They can also write secret “coded” messages using 0s and 1s.

• The Friendship Code (Girls Who Code chapter book series) — Stacia Deutsch (and others). Middle-grade fiction that centers on a school coding club — mixes relatable social themes with introductory coding concepts and teamwork. https://amzn.to/48Kr9PR

 🤝 Activity: Start a mini coding club where students use Scratch or Hour of Code tutorials. Encourage teamwork like the book characters — each student can “own” one task in a group project.

• Coding for Beginners: Using Python — Louie Stowell (Usborne). Friendly, illustrated introduction to Python for young teens who want a gentle, hands-on start to a real programming language. https://amzn.to/3YiPsQ3

 🐍 Activity: Write a simple Python program that prints favorite books or generates random reading suggestions. For offline practice, “trace” code with index cards labeled if, else, and print.

• Python for Kids — Jason R. Briggs. A playful, illustrated guide that teaches Python through games and projects — a natural next step for middle graders who enjoyed Scratch. https://amzn.to/3KEsccc

 🎲 Activity: Students code a digital dice roller or quiz game that asks questions about their favorite subjects — combining creativity and logic.

High School (Grades 9—12)

• Automate the Boring Stuff with Python — Al Sweigart. Practical, project-based book that shows how to use Python to automate real tasks (file handling, spreadsheets, web scraping) — excellent for tech electives and independent projects. https://amzn.to/48M9tTQ

 📂 Activity: Encourage students to brainstorm everyday school tasks they could automate (e.g., renaming files, grading forms). Discuss how automation improves efficiency and ethics of its use.

• Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software — Charles Petzold. A readable deep-dive into how computers work from the ground up — great for students curious about computer architecture and the “why” behind computing. https://amzn.to/3Y7u7cx

 💡 Activity: Use Morse code or binary code to spell students’ names. Show how early communication systems evolved into modern computing.

• Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms — Hannah Fry. An accessible book on algorithms, ethics, and real-world impacts of automated systems — excellent for class discussions about AI, fairness, and public policy. https://amzn.to/4pwzM81

 🌍 Activity: Facilitate a short debate: “Should algorithms make decisions for humans?” Students research real examples of algorithms in hiring, policing, or healthcare.

• Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions — Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths. Bridges computer-science thinking and everyday decision-making; useful for advanced classes connecting algorithms to real-world problem solving. https://amzn.to/48Hv1kB

 📚 Activity: Ask students to apply an algorithmic principle (like “optimal stopping” or “sorting”) to a daily problem — choosing a college, managing time, or organizing notes — then share their reasoning.

From picture books that introduce sequencing and logic to thought-provoking reads on ethics and algorithms, these titles show that computer science is about much more than computers—it’s about creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking. Try pairing one of these stories with a simple unplugged activity or coding challenge to bring the ideas to life in your library. However you celebrate, you’ll be helping students see that anyone can think like a computer scientist!

I have not read these books, so please read them for yourself to make sure they are appropriate for your library.

Read more Bibliography and Book List posts.

Check out my lists on Benable

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