San Francisco, CA (December 14, 2015)—Minecraft is the most popular game in PC history, with hundreds of millions of players, and it's now a gateway into the programming world.

In a novel approach to teaching programming, a new book from No Starch Press, Learn to Program with Minecraft ($29.95, Dec. 2015, 320 pp.) uses Minecraft to introduce fans to the beginner-friendly Python language. Readers learn how to build dazzling creations and unlock a whole new realm of Minecraft, all while learning practical programming skills.

This hands-on approach to programming is filled with fun, step-by-step directions designed to make things clear for readers of all ages and experience levels.

Author Craig Richardson explains his book's unique approach this way: "My book makes learning to program accessible and engaging for people of all ages. Parents and teachers know how valuable it is to learn how to program, but add the fun and creativity of Minecraft while giving your player superpowers, and who can resist? Learn to Program with Minecraft shows readers how to take control of Minecraft with programming, and it's really exciting for kids to see a pyramid or palace appear in their Minecraft world out of nothing more than a few lines of code."

Readers of Learn to Program with Minecraft embark on a series of interactive and engaging missions as they learn how to:

• Teleport their players using variables
• Create palaces, pillars, pyramids, and pixel art using for loops
• Stack blocks and build spectacular spires in record time with math
• Unlock the chat feature and write secret messages to their friends
• Blast craters, open secret passages, and cast spells to transform blocks
• Duplicate entire villages, castles, and acres of Minecraft countryside

"Think of it this way," says No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock. "Learn to Program with Minecraft is the ideal alternative to those cost-prohibitive coding camps. Kids who read this book will pick up valuable programming skills and they won’t have to hide their favorite game behind a busy screen." According to Pollock, "No Starch Press will never be a billion dollar startup 'unicorn,' but we'll still change the world by creating books that open doors for kids everywhere."

For parents looking to get kids interested in coding, and for Minecraft fans of any age, this hands-on guide is the perfect introduction to programming. The code in this book will run on Mac, Windows, and Raspberry Pi.

Learn to Program with Minecraft is available now in bookstores everywhere.

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Explore projects from Learn to Program with Minecraft

Color changing dance floor	Pillars fit for a castle

Minecraft pixel art	Sky-high pyramids

Learn to Program with Minecraft Publisher: No Starch Press Author: Craig Richardson ISBN: 978-1-59327-670-6 (print) Price: $29.95 Publication Date: December 2015 Specs: 320 pp. [email protected] 1-800-998-9938 1-707-827-7000

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Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from http://www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press: http://www.nostarch.com, [email protected], 1-800-420-7240.

About No Starch Press
San Francisco–based No Starch Press has published the finest in geek entertainment since 1994, covering topics like LEGO, hacking, science, math, and programming for all ages. Our best-selling kids programming titles include Python for Kids, Super Scratch Programming Adventure!, and Learn to Program with Scratch. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about.

About O'Reilly
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