Getting to Know Lego Mindstorms (Code Power: a Teen Programmer’s Guide)

Makerspaces are community workspaces where people can build projects, and Lego Mindstorms is among the most cutting-edge technologies used. Lego Mindstorms are software-hardware kits that allow virtually anyone to build programmable robots. Best of all, these robots are built out of Legos, feeding into any young person’s childlike sensibilities. Lego Mindstorms also taps into curriculum-based STEM learning by teaching students the science, technology, engineering, and math skills needed for many of tomorrow’s careers. Lego Mindstorms is the perfect bridge between play and education, and can fuel a young person’s knowledge and creativity.

Gr 6-9-It's not a leap to assume that most kids and teens today have interacted with some kind of software on a computer, tablet, phone, or video game. As the series title indicates, code is powerful. These books introduce readers to programming languages, such as Ruby and Python, as well as software that teaches programming, including Alice and Hackety Hack. Don't confuse these with tutorial guides, though; students won't learn "how to" from these books. They function more like extended, in-depth reviews, giving readers some background on the program or language in addition to practical advice on how to get started. A glossary, bibliography, and list of online resources make each book an especially useful resource for any library serving aspiring coders.α(c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.