March 1, 2014
Gr 3 Up-DIY culture and industrial design-interested readers will find these books informative introductions. Each title aims to impart basic but foundational knowledge and then quickly gives way to project instructions that inspire and challenge. Rich, color images help readers comprehend topics that might seem somewhat nebulous. Digital Badges describes its subject as a "new way for us to express ourselves and tell stories to one another" by showing friends and family the different types of skills they have mastered that are not traditionally quantifiable (such as soft skills like helpfulness or learned skills like soldering). Game Design dissolves the notion that games are complicated, instead portraying them as an enjoyable series of tactics, strategies, incentives, and outcomes. The book positively encourages children to accept criticism as part of the design process to continually improve game creations. E-Textiles is slightly less direct than the other two titles. It breaks the concept down into "wearable electronics" and half-heartedly covers electronic sewing tutorials, but the topic isn't described simply and lacks accompanying graphics. The underlying idea of an electronic textile (for instance, a self-cleaning shirt, an illuminated carpet) is defined easily enough, but the project examples fall short of exciting. New vocabulary words are bolded and listed in a helpful glossary at the end of each book (a "prototype" is a first model, as defined in Game Design). Digital Badges and Game Design prove to be solid additions to libraries serving patrons enthusiastic about the sciences and DIY culture.-Amy M. Laughlin, Darien Library, CT
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