Modding Minecraft: Build Your Own Minecraft Mods! (Dummies Junior)

My 9 year old was thrilled to get started with this book, but the book works hand in hand with a website that doesn't seem to be maintained. The redirect page from the first login was a dead page, "RE-direct page invalid error" which makes the book useless. I tried a few different browsers, but all failed. Unless you want to frustrate your kid, I'd recommend some other method of getting them started on Mods.

These books provide no educational information as to what modding is. It simply renders steps on what to do on a computer.

Overview: This is a good basic intro to modding for children, but there are some things you should know before you buy.This book (and related website) use a very simplified teaching method using drag-and-drop code, in which you literally drag blocks of code from one panel into another. For Java, or any object-oriented language, that’s as easy as it’s going to get. You avoid having to learn syntax right away. You don’t first have to learn the principles of "model-view-controller." You simply drag the shell of a function onto the screen, and then drag commands and loops into the function.To actually run the mods requires a Minecraft account, but if you’re modding, you probably have that already. The teaching software sends mods to a Minecraft server, and adds that server to your login.The problem with this book is that it doesn’t quite match the software, so things are not where you expect to see them. Apparently, the software has been updated since the book was published. For example, very early on, connecting the software to your Minecraft account, you click on “Minecraft Connect,” but the button shown in the book isn’t there! I finally found it under “Home,” in case you end up looking for it. This is the kind of stuff that bores and frustrates kids — I know my 10-year-old son started to lose interest when we ran into obstacles like this, though he perked up again when I figured it out. If your child is doing this alone, it may be more of an issue.Another thing that confused us was the book shows you the panel from which you drag your code blocks, and the blank panel where you drop the code. But on the screen, only the left panel matched. The right panel was a simulated Minecraft world. It turns out that is where you drop your code! It’s weird, and takes some getting used to, and even then, I found myself accidentally getting into the simulation in full screen, and getting out of it threw me all the way out of the program, and I had to start over. There needs to be a more intuitive interface, including an "exit to lesson” button.The book is somewhat redundant, and because it doesn’t match the screen, was more of a hinderance during the actual modding. We found ourselves abandoning the book altogether and just following the instructions on the screen. It is still helpful for offline reading, in terms of getting familiar with the types of blocks available and what they do, and getting a preview of the more advanced lessons. Also, the book came with an access code that you type in at the website that gains you 90 days free connection to the mod server. I don’t know what it costs after that 90 days; it would be nice if that info were obvious.One plus is that the lessons, including video demonstrations, are very straight to the point. They don’t waste time with a lot of zany joking around.Verdict: good way to teach kids basic programming, but needs to be updated to match the website.

Not all 8 year olds are going to have the patience to read this book, even if they are average readers for their age.Even being a Minecraft fanatic doesn't seem to be enough motivation for some kids.Add that to the fact that the book and the software do not line up and you have a bit of a mess on your hands.We had resorted to reading the book to him, trying to get him motivated again, he was at first, until he tried to read the book on his own.Unfortunately he had never been given a chance to code before, long story involving shared custody that I won't get into on here.So we were pretty much starting from scratch.After a few failed attempts, we decided to shelve the project and come back to it over summer vacation, when we would have moreuninterrupted time to work on it with him.Our impression of the book was mostly positive, but that was looking at it as an adult, to him it was a lot of stuff that was way over hishead, even though it was about his beloved game.Moral of the story: Some kids are not going to be ready for this and actually can be turned off of coding if this is their first introduction to it,primarily because of the disconnect between what the books says and what the software program actually did.

My daughter is 9, and she loves playing Minecraft on her iPad. She can't get enough of it! She loves creating animals, using different skins, and building amusement parks. This "Modding Minecraft" book was a natural next step in encouraging her in STEM fields.This "Dummies Junior" book operates under the assumption that Minecraft is being used from a PC or a Mac, not a mobile device (not iPhone, iPad). You will also need access to the LearnToMod.com website. The book comes with a code that gives you a 60-day free trial to the website.What I enjoyed about this book the most is the layout. The book is small enough to not be intimidating, but long enough to really draw kids in to the creative possibilities that modding gives them. The pages are full-color, and the instructions are easy to read, easy to follow, and easy to use. This is technical writing for children, and they did a fantastic job of it.

I like the basic approach and organization of the book. The real value lies in the online lessons that are hosted on a website that then lets the student earn badges by going through a series of lessons. I love the set up and the programmatic approach taken here.The devil is in the details. The world of browsers is fluid and what worked well at one time may not work in a new version of your browser due to changes made for security or other reasons.The result in our case was that we kept encountering issues with either the voxel simulator or with the ability to push mods to Minecraft. These stumbling blocks can sometimes be ignored or worked around. But they tend to kill the momentum of the child trying to follow the lesson. It's like trying to learn to drive with a car that keeps stalling out on you.So as much as I like the approach and feel that they authors have poured an insane amount of work into this, I can't give this an unreserved recommendation due to the issues we encountered with the web-based software.

This book, and it's other version "Minecraft Modding For Kids For Dummies" https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/product/1119050049 have not been updated!They are based on the child creating an account on a website called learntomod.com, and working through the activities there. But the website has been updated, and the books have not. Trying to follow the instructions in the book (or on their own help section!) is impossible, because the places you are directed to do not exist any more.All together a very frustrating experience for the child who received the book and the parent who had to try to figure it out for them!I am not impressed at all.

I like the style of these books, by the makers of the ‘For Dummies’ series, aimed at children much more than the original range aimed at adults. The tone of writing isn’t patronising and I can overlook the occasional reference to school in return for a more focused read. These books gives the reader the information they need, without the distraction of extraneous waffle.This book is a good introduction to modifying Minecraft, but be aware that it only tells the reader how to use one piece of online software. It doesn’t give you an overview of the whole field. And while the first 60 days are free, the service is then paid for. You will also need to have bought a PC version of Minecraft. You can’t modify the Pocket Edition.I found this book to be clearly written and useful. It’s full colour throughout and it’s obvious that a lot of thought has gone into the design. While you could learn from the online software, it’s nice having a book to refer to and guide you through your learning journey.

My daughter is a huge Minecraft fan, and is constantly trying to mod it. She found the book rather difficult to understand, which is likely to be an issue for a lot of young people, who aren't into books, and prefer to get information from their devices. We also had some trouble getting the on-line elements to work, and eventually decided not to bother.. On the other hand, I read the book and found it relatively easy to understand. It is set out well, and goes into just the right amount of detail. However, being a Dummies Junior edition, this is aimed at kids, and she found it heavy going. It was a case of "Yeah, I already knew that Dad!" After a relatively short time she had reverted to on line modding tips, or just chatting with other Minecraft players and getting the information that way. So, not a big hit with the target audience (I think she has gone beyond this book in many respects), but it may yet prove useful for me, an old dummy. One thing my daughter did say was that with Minecraft changing and evolving all the time, how long is it going to be relevant for anyway. I can't answer that, we will have to see.

I haven't fully explored this book yet, and the Amazon Vine policy dictates that I review within 30 days of receipt, but I've been impressed with this little book. It's helped my son take his Minecraft building a step further, and helped him with his coding. A lot of this came because we signed up for the "learntomod" service, that the book recommended. (Google Learn to Mod - it's a subscription to a service that teaches you how to mod, with projects to follow, and a host of other stuff) To be honest, we haven't got much further than that.The book is laid out as you would expect any Dummies guide to be, and has been accessible for my 11 year old. Well worth the money, I think though, if you do take a a learn to mod subscription, you probably don't need it.

A really nice idea - essentially A ‘For Dummies’ book aimed at children.My boys appear to be endlessly fascinated by Minecraft; it is a fascination that makes absolutely no sense to me but this is probably more an indication of my impending dotage than anything else.I completely endorse the objective of this book. I think kids should learn to code and this is a good introduction. It is well structured, packed with good information. There are useful online resources although they do cost money after an initial free trial period.To be honest, although my boys have shown some interest in the book they have not taken to it as much as I’d hoped. Perhaps once the grip of the Pokemon obsession is loosened they will return to it.