Need Rec: Book to teach about computers and BASIC at an eight year old level

[Chuck Guzis]

On 05/27/2016 02:52 PM, Jay West wrote:
> 
> At the risk of being flamed... I'll mention that if the kid is more
> visually driven, you might try introducing him to an Arduino Uno or
> similar. Something he can see the results of his code in lights and
> dials.

One of my fondest memories of my long-deceased father was when he took a
plank of pine and built a 1-tube radio with me.  I think it was a 1G4G
(triode).  We wound and shellacked the coils.  Earphones and A and B
batteries.   It was wonderful--and I was hooked.

I don't know if ARM or AVR BASICs are available, but you can purchase
one-board MCUs (like the Maple mini) for next to nothing.  I think that
getting that going with BASIC or any other language would be a great
adventure for a young boy.

After all, in a couple of years, he'll be teaching *you* how to use a PC.

--Chuck