16 Excellent Minecraft Books for Kids
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Believe it or not, games like Minecraft motivate kids to read, including my own. To learn to play the game, kids read Minecraft forums and Minecraft books. But here’s the exciting news– there are lots of good fiction and nonfiction chapter books and middle grade books about Minecraft that kids can read. (More reading= improved reading skills!)
In a WIRED article, Clive Thompson explains, “Minecraft is surrounded by a culture of literacy. The game comes with minimal instructions or tutorials, so new players immediately set about hunting for info on how it works. That means . . . poring over how-to texts at Minecraft wikis and “walk-through” sites, written by gamers for gamers. Or digging into printed manuals like The Ultimate Player’s Guide to Minecraft or the official Minecraft Redstone Handbook.”
Top Minecraft Books for Kids
- Diary of a Minecraft Zombie Book 1: A Scare of a Dare by Herobrine Books
- Into the Game (Minecraft Woodsword Chronicles) by Nick Eliopulos
- Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior by Cube Kid
Minecraft can even be used in schools. Read the pros and cons of Minecraft education.
After a recent trip to the bookstore for a few Minecraft books for my kids, I thought I’d share some of the top Minecraft books you could buy for your kids. (Maybe for Christmas or anytime gifts?) Because reading is reading, right?!
Some of these books are Minecraft guides (nonfiction), others are Minecraft novels (fiction), and a few are activity books.
Minecraft Books for Kids
Catch the Creeper by Stephanie Milton
In this search and find book, Minecraft fans will look for creepers, llamas, and more!
Minecraft: The Island (An Official Minecraft Novel Book 1) by Max Brooks
Reader recommended! In this first adventure, Z is stranded on an island in Minecraft and must unravel its secrets in order to survive. ***GET ALL 9 OF THE MINECRAFT BOOKS IN THE SERIES HERE.
Crack in the Code (Minecraft Stonesword Saga #1) by Nick Eliopulos
Illustrated with fun fonts throughout, this adventure story takes players into the game with a new player named Nick. Unfortunately, Nick likes to change the code, which might kill them all.
Into the Game (Minecraft Woodsword Chronicles) by Nick Eliopulos
First in one of the BEST Minecraft book series, this adventure quest follows five players who are transported inside the game– and they’ll have to use all their survival and problem-solving skills to stay alive. BOXED SET of Books 1 – 4 HERE.
Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior by Cube Kid, illustrated by Saboten
Runt is a 12-year-old with real problems. He doesn’t want to be a typical villager with a boring life. He wants to be a warrior like Steve. Even though Runt hopes that Steve will help with warrior training, Steve is too sad to help. Runt gets help from a surprising ally who happens to be in jail. We love this fantastic Minecraft book with illustrations that will be a good addition to any bookshelf!
Escape Book The Cursed Temple (Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior) by Alain T. Puyssegur
In this choose-your-own-adventure book, you are Runt, a villager noob turned warrior. The Villagetown is in danger from the cursed king and only you can help. You’ll have to make decisions, solve riddles, problems, and puzzles in order to not die and save everyone, including your best friends Breeze and Eeebs. Fantastic illustrations, a cool design, and exciting adventures make this a killer first book in a new series.
Lost in the Nether: Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten by Cube Kid
Eeebs is a Minecraft kitten who gets lost in the Nether, where he develops supernatural powers, including the ability to talk. With great character development, visually appeal, and lots of action, this exciting adventure pits Eeeebs against the Endernova’s army and the Enderman…
Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal by Dan TDM, illustrated by Doreen Mulryan
This is a graphic novel from DanTDM, a Minecraft YouTuber. My daughter didn’t love it but it gets good reviews so it’s worth considering. The story is about DanTDM and Trayaurus finding powerful crystals that can be used for good or evil so it’s a big problem that Denton, their archenemy, has also found a shard!
The Invasion of the Overworld by Mark Cheverton
Gameknight999 loved ruining the game for other players (called griefing) until his father’s invention teleports him into the game. Now he’s worried what will happen if he’s killed in Minecraft – will he respawn? And he learns that the creatures in the game are really alive and he’ll have to start working with others to survive. My daughter thinks this is the best Minecraft chapter book series for kids. What do you think?
Stampy’s Lovely Book by Stampy (Joseph Garrett)
Popular on YouTube, now there’s an official Stampy book with info, games, jokes, activities, and comics. This will keep Minecraft addicts engaged for hours!
The Ultimate Unofficial Encyclopedia for Minecrafters by Megan Miller
This unofficial guide is a big book of players’ hacks organized in an easy-to-reference encyclopedia format. This book will show readers the ins and outs of the game, how to survive and thrive, and various mods that can improve play. The book is illustrated in full color throughout, making it easy for new and experienced Minecrafters to build, fight, protect, and survive in their creative worlds.
The Minecraft Essential Handbook: An Official Mojang Book by Scholastic
This guide to surviving Minecraft teaches you how to find resources, make a shelter, craft tools, protect yourself from monsters, and more. My daughter loves these guides to the official Minecraft series of books!
Minecraft Redstone Handbook by Scholastic
Redstone is a complex area of Minecraft where you need to know about mining, smelting, using repeaters, circuit components, and circuit designs. Read tips from the game creator Notch and get ideas for amazing Redstone creations.
Minecraft Combat by Scholastic
The official Minecraft book of combat handbook will show you how to defend yourself from monsters and other players, as well as set mob traps, battle out of the Nether and the End, and craft weapons.
Minecraft: The Crafter’s Kitchen for Young Chefs and Their Families
I love any book that gets kids reading about their favorite things like this book does for Minecraft fans. And yes, cookbooks count as reading! It’s organized by landscape (plains, oceans, forests, deserts, swamps, etc.) and the foods are recipes that are made with foods grown in those places. Each section has an introduction about the Earth’s biomes and how you can help with sustainability. For example, in the Ocean biome, read how to make seafood cakes, shrimp kebobs, coconut curry, and Bruce, or dulce de l. Don’t miss the fun Ice Cube Tray Sushi Blocks in the Rivers section or Meatballs in the taiga section. I haven’t made any of the recipes yet because too many of them have allergens that we can’t eat but they all look delicious.
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I’d also add the Official Minecraft series of novels–they are by all different authors. Titles are The Crash, The Mountain, The Island…. I think there are 6 or 9 in the series? The only “official” Minecraft novels. They are fantastic, quality, engaging books that my 10 year old loves! (And has racked up some series AR points in the process!)
thanks, Lea — I can’t wait to check those out, too! And isn’t it wonderful to find books that your kids love to read?
My son is autistic and his reading has improved immensely after reading the ‘Steve Surname Adventures’ series. I think all boys aged 8-12 would just LOVE them!
Agreed – my daughter (who is 10) also loves them! Thanks for sharing — so happy your son has found a series he loves!!