April 1, 2018
Gr 3-6-Has your school invested in Snap Circuits, Cubelets, or littleBits? If so, the projects in each of these books are just the ticket. They start simple (a coding bracelet made of beads that spell out the wearer's name in binary) and increase in complexity until students are building a model elevator or a door alarm. In each volume there are lots of process photos that show the hands of kids carrying out the steps. These augment the clear instructions, which are laid out in a vertical, easy-to-follow format. There's some overlap with Capstone's "Junior Makers 4D" (also reviewed here). (Construct It! uses more durable materials than Building Projects for Beginners, but Coding in Scratch for Beginners beats Code It! owing to the online tutorials.) VERDICT Pick and choose titles based on local interest and collection gaps.
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2019
This short volume introduces makerspaces and architecture, providing instructions for six projects that use Legos, K'NEX, and cardboard. Photographs accompany clear instructions, and brightly colored backgrounds and lively fonts create an engaging aesthetic. The finished projects should foster interest in tinkering. Includes tips for "Makerspace Maintenance." Glos., ind.
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