Hello Scratch! ─ Learn to Program by Making Arcade Games

In the future, there are going to be millions of jobs with no one to fill them if more kids don't learn how to code. So why aren't more kids learning to program? Some think it's too hard, and others don't have parents who can help them because they don't know programming themselves. Learning to code with a tool like Scratch, an open source programming platform maintained by MIT, and having fun goals, like writing games, just might make a difference. That's where this book comes in.

Hello, Scratch! is a how-to book that helps parents and kids work together to learn programming skills by creating new versions of old retro-style arcade games with Scratch. By building games, readers not only create fun finished products, but they'll learn important programming skills along the way. By the time readers are done, they'll be able to create their own games and understand the basics of computer programming and game design.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

Melissa Ford is the author of numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, including Writing Interactive Fiction with Twine (Pearson, Spring 2016). She is the Blogging and Social Media editor at BlogHer, a contributor at GeekDad, and the interactive fiction mentor at her local computer club.

Sadie Ford is a 12 year old coder. Her favorite game is Astrosmash. She enjoys drawing and reading as well as coding with her twin brother Gabriel.

Gabriel Ford is a 12 year old coder. His favorite game, PartiBlu, was featured by the Scratch team on the front page in Winter 2015.