Early CT Reading List
We have identified books that relate to CT appropriate for K-5 students. They may tell historically-accurate stories of important figures in computing, impart important lessons for how to design computing systems, or build specific skills related to CT. Come on a CT reading journey with us!
Infinite Loops
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Laura Joffe Numcroff
978-0060245863
This classic fictional story describes a boy's encounter with a mouse with a long list of requests - with the "punchline" at the end being that the first request will come back, leading to an unending cycle.
In computing, we call this an infinite loop. With our resources, you can read this to your children and tie it to computational thinking, introducing them to the reasoning necessary to successfully end loops in their code.
There's a Hole in My Pocket
Akimi Gibson
978-0590675888
This fictional story features an elephant with a hole that needs to be repaired. However, the elephant needs materials and labor to do so, and this involves a sequence of barters and tasks to try to obtain them, circling back to needing the needle and thread.
In computing, we call this an infinite loop. With our resources, you can read this to your children and tie it to computational thinking, introducing them to the reasoning necessary to successfully end loops in their code.
Coding
Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding
Linda Liukas
978-1250065001
This fictional story describes Ruby meeting her friends in different scenarios on her adventure finding gems. Each of the ten chapters integrates one or more computational thinking concepts.
The story emphasizes many CT skills, such as sequencing (give specific step-by-step instructions), decomposition (break down a big problem into small tasks), and debugging (detect and solve problems).
How to Code a Sandcastle
Josh Funk
978-0425291986
This is a fictional story about Pearl who has tried many times to build a sandcastle, only to have it destroyed by frisbees, dogs, and sharks! She asks her robot friend Pascal to help her build the sandcastle by giving him instructions in computer code. Working with Pascal, Pearl learns how to decompose problems to make them more understandable, give specific instructions in the right order, and use code she’s written, over and over again.
This provides interesting examples of using a robot to complete a seemingly simple task. This focuses on the need for specific instructions and provides an introduction to introductory coding concepts such as sequences and loops, and decomposition.
Diverse Role Models
Margaret and the Moon
Dean Robbins
978-0399551857
This true story about Margaret Hamilton shows her love for mathematics as a child and how that grew into a love for more complex mathematics later. It then describes her work for NASA programming software for the first lunar landing.
Amidst the storytelling, it weaves in several very important concepts for computing. In age-appropriate language, it introduces real-time constraints and the importance of planning for everything that could go wrong.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
Margot Lee Shetterly
978-0062742469
Design Process / Persistence
Beautiful Oops
Barney Saltzberg
076115728X
Rosie Revere, Engineer
Andrea Beaty
978-1419708459
This is a fictional story about Rosie, who loves to invent but gives up when adults laugh at her inventions. Great-great-aunt Rose (implied to be Rosie Riveter) laughs too, but points out the success prior to failure. You build on the success rather than get disappointed by lack of complete success.
This provides interesting examples of using common items to create innovative inventions. This focuses on creativity and seeing failure as an opportunity to re-engineer.
The Most Magnificent Thing
Ashley Spires
978-1554537044
This is a fictional story about a girl that decides to build the most magnificent thing but with all her planning, she fails over and over again until she decides to quit. Her best friend, who is a dog, convinces her to take a walk to clear her mind which allows her to return to her project and build it just right! Her perseverance and creativity allow her to create a truly magnificent thing!
This provides interesting examples of using common items to create innovative inventions. This focuses on creativity and seeing failure as an opportunity to re-engineer.
Data
The Art of Clean Up
Ursus Wehrli
978-1452114163
This a fictional picture book showing everyday scenes followed by new versions of those everyday scenes with items in it sorted in some way.
This provides interesting examples of organizing data in different ways. This can be used along with fun activities to explore the different ways to organize data.
Spatial Reasoning
Lucy and the City
Julie Dillemuth
978-1433819278
This a fictional story about Lucy, a young raccoon whose family accidentally leaves her behind during their search for food. She has to find her way home with some help from an owl and her memories about sights, sounds, and smells on her way there.
This teaches spatial reasoning, which has been correlated with success in computer science, yet it is not a formal part of school curricula. The owl flies above, and the reader is shown a map containing a 2-d grid of streets.
Mapping My Day
Julie Dillemuth
978-1433823336
