You might be wondering about the best Minecraft books. As with other aspects of Minecraft, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why we made this list to help you find the books to game and to spark your imagination.
Minecraft is the best-selling game ever. Since it was released over ten years ago, it has appeared on every gaming console from the past decade, as well as spawning a range of new games, amazing toys, and a whole library’s worth of books. Minecraft is a huge, open-ended world, so guidebooks can help you to build more sophisticated structures in Creative Mode or to help you better live through the night in Survival Mode. Aside from technical illustrated guides, the creative storyline and compelling characters have inspired many famous authors to write novels and stories set in the Minecraft universe.
Did you know you can also learn how to solve puzzles, build, and create games with fun coding in Minecraft? Join our live online, small-group, expert-designed Minecraft camps and classes to learn Minecraft coding. Most students begin with our Minecraft Redstone Engineering class for grades 2+.
Discover the best Minecraft books for kids and beginners
There are a lot of Minecraft books out there, but the best ones are officially licensed and available via the official Minecraft website. Amazon often has great deals on Minecraft books as well. Here are a few great reads your students might enjoy.
1. Minecraft for Beginners Book
For first time players, the vastness of Minecraft’s world and its lack of hand holding can make the first hours spent in the game a little confusing. There’s so much to do, and this book helps you to get going. Written in easy-to-understand language, it provides an in-depth look at getting started in Minecraft. It covers the Minecraft basics, such as how to control your character and how to explore the map. After that, it helps guide you through your first day, how to eat, mine, equip tools, and build a shelter. After helping you to survive your first night (a rite of passage for all Minecrafters), it will help you move through day two and beyond.
Pros: Great for beginners
Cons: Not for experienced players and those who want to figure things out alone
Review: "My mother in law is in her 70’s and wanted to learn how to play Minecraft. After trying to teach her myself I found out she needed more help then I could give her… This was perfect! It explains everything in a simple, easy to understand way. Every page has color illustrations and the print is large enough that she didn’t really need her glasses to read it. Every time she got confused she was able to refer to the book and didn’t need my help anymore. Honestly wish I had this book when I first learned to play lol. Thanks for making this book!"
Best for ages: 7 - 12
2. Minecraft: Guide Collection Book
If you’re looking for a more in-depth guide to Minecraft, this hardcover collection of four books offers a comprehensive look at the popular game. The set includes four Minecraft titles, including Exploration, Creative, Redstone, and The Nether & The End. The books cover all aspects of the game. Exploration takes the user through exploring the Overworld and the Underworld, as well as important features like mining, fighting hostile mobs, and interacting with friendly mobs. Creative offers guidance in building truly amazing Minecraft builds such as palaces, fortresses, caves, and more. Redstone reveals the creative potential of Minecraft as a design tool. Using Redstone, players can build factories and other tools that can create blocks and mobs of their own. Finally, The Nether & The End take players through the scarier aspects of the game, including exploring the dark Nether realm, as well as the steps required to fight the Ender Dragon and how to beat Minecraft!
Pros: Great for beginners and advanced players
Cons: None
Review: “These books are great for Minecraft beginners and more experienced builders. I bought this set for my 8 year old who loves Minecraft. He has enjoyed reading the books and uses them all of the time for reference when building in Minecraft. They have helped him figure out lots of things in the game that he missed previously.”
Best for ages: 7 - 10
3. Minecraft: Blockopedia
Minecraft: Blockopedia is an official guide to every block a player can mine in the game. Its beautiful, full-color pages guide readers through the literal building blocks of the game, guiding them through each material’s unique properties. Each entry includes “recipes” for the types of things you can design and build with each type. Considering that there are several hundred types of blocks, this guide book is a good gift for kids and adults who love Minecraft.
Pros: Technical but fun, makes the exploration and design aspects easier
Cons: Just blocks
Review: “My girl is a Minecraft fiend, the girl was speechless when she looked inside, and honestly so was I. Very well crafted book and a good index to make sure you know what you’re looking at. 10/10 cause u know how hard it is to make a girl speechless let alone two of them lol. Definitely get this for your kids or your adult kids.”
Best for ages: 7 - 12
4. Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks
There’s a lot of great guide books for Minecraft, but the massive, open-ended game has given rise to a bunch of official and unofficial fictional Minecraft stories for kids of all ages. In the official Minecraft series there are 12 books, each one written by a different author. The Island is the first book in the series. Max Brooks is the author of the bestselling zombie apocalypse novel, World War Z, and several other novels and graphic novels. In this novel, an unnamed hero arrives at a mysterious island within the Minecraft universe and the adventure begins. It’s a great book for kids who love Minecraft but need more motivation to read, and being on the longer side (250+ pages) it will be a satisfying book to finish.
Pros: Exciting and interesting
Cons: A bit long for younger kids
Review: “This book got my reluctant reader so excited to read! I bought the book to read at bedtime to my 10 and 12 year olds who love Minecraft. As soon as my 10 year old read the back, he stole it away and holed up in his room for 3 straight days reading it! I also got hourly play-by-plays of what was happening. So glad to find a book where the subject matter is so enthralling that my son read his first chapter book!”
Best for ages: 8 - 12
5. Minecraft Woodsword Chronicles: The Complete Series
This is a great series of novels for younger readers who love Minecraft. Follow five friends as they are transported from the real world into the block-shaped world of their favorite game. It’s no longer a game, however, and they will have to use their wits to survive, build, and explore the vast Minecraft universe. This collection comes with all six titles in a boxed set. They can be purchased individually via Amazon.
Pros: A great introduction to chapter books
Cons: A little easy for strong readers
Review: “Buy this for the anti-reader in your home! My 7 year old son can't stand reading. He would rather do chores than sit down and read a book. After seeing reviews on this book, I didn't totally believe that my kid was going to be sold on reading. To my surprise, he voluntarily read the book. He LOVED it! He enjoyed it so much that he asked me if I would buy the 2nd book in the series. If you have a child in your home who avoids reading, don't lose hope until you've tried this book. If your son or daughter already loves Minecraft, then this book will most likely win them over!”
Best for ages: 6 - 10
6. Minecraft: The Mountain by Max Brooks
In this sequel to Minecraft: The Island, author Max Brooks follows the explorer from where the last book left off, as they encounter another stranded stranger on the forgotten island. The book shows how teamwork can make solving problems easier and allow kids to tackle larger problems than they could alone. Max Brooks writes a gripping story that even parents love. There are over 10 books in the series, the rest written by other popular authors, so if you want to encourage your kid to spend time away from the screen, these books are great.
Pros: Fun for kids who don’t like reading
Cons: Challenging for younger kids
Review: “Son loves this series of books. He's not what you might call a voracious reader, but he reads these as quickly as they arrive.”
Best for ages: 10+
7. Minecraft: Maps
Explore the secrets of the strange and beautiful world of Minecraft with this full-color, illustrated guide written in collaboration with Minecraft’s creator, Mojang. Minecraft: Maps walks you through the Minecraft landscape to help you find loot and avoid danger. It explores the fifteen major biomes within the game, including which hostile mobs and minerals can be found there. Through the explorer’s notes, readers will find inspiring hints that help them get the most out of the game.
Pros: Beautifully illustrated and narrated by an explorer
Cons: A somewhat technical guide
Review: “This book is excellent! A must-have book for true explorers of the Minecraft world! It contains a lot of information for every biome in this game. It also shows builds that fit for each biome.I would highly recommend this book to every type of Minecraft player!”
Best for ages: 8 - 12
8. Minecraft: Guide to Survival
Learn how to survive in Minecraft! This book comes from the same series as the Minecraft Guide Collection that was item 2 in this list. In this updated version of the Exploration guide, users get a revised introduction to Minecraft, with information about game updates and different Minecraft versions (Java, Bedrock, etc.). The revised and updated Guide to Survival has even more insider info and advice from the professionals at game-creator Mojang. This guide is packed with hints and tips that will make exploring fun and less stressful than going it alone.
Pros: Revised and updated
Cons: Might be repetitive if you already have the Exploration Guide
Review: “My son loves this book. It’s like his bible. Sits next to his bed and then his computer. He’s now a little nerd with all the facts and tips he knows”
Best for ages: 8 - 12
9. Mobestiary
In Minecraft, all non-player characters, enemies, villagers, and animals are called “Mobs” or “mobile entities.” To survive in Minecraft, players will need to fight, help, and harvest different mobs. Knowing the differences can be the difference between success and an untimely end. Minecraft: Mobestiary guides readers through every mob in the game. Discover the differences between passive, neutral, hostile, utility, and boss mobs, and general knowledge about their locations, behaviors, threat levels, and drops.
Pros: Detailed and fully-illustrated
Cons: Some reviewers said it was boring
Review: “Good quality book with lots of information about each of the mobs for those children who like to know everything about their favorite game - one very happy 7 year old!”
Best for ages: 8 - 12
10. Minecraft: Construction Handbook
Other than mining, Minecraft is about crafting. It’s in the name! In this final guide book, which is part of a series of official guide books about the different functions in the game. Learn how to do everything from basic builds to advanced projects. The fully-illustrated, official guide will walk readers through every step of building structures from reinforced walls to massive castles to sprawling cities. It’s a very helpful guide for those who want to play creative, or who like a game balanced between exploration and crafting.
Pros: Illustrations and instructions for many projects
Cons: Might find more info online
Review: “My Grandson borrowed this book (paperback) from his 2nd grade classroom. He loves the game and works really hard to read all the information in the different books. I'm very impressed with this hard cover and know it will outlast all the others he's collected.”
Best for ages: 8 - 12
Enjoy the best Minecraft books for kids
These amazing Minecraft books will walk you through the basic and advanced mechanics of the game to the creative exploration and fiction the game has inspired. Whether you want your child to get more out of the game and engage more deeply with the technology, or whether your Minecraft fan needs some encouragement with reading chapter books, you’re sure to find something here. Up next, check out the best Minecraft toys.
Plus, learn how to solve puzzles, build, and create games with fun coding in Minecraft, led live by an expert teacher in our Minecraft Redstone Engineering class (Grades 2-5), Minecraft Coding Quest class (Grades 2-5) and Minecraft Code to Mod (Grades 5-9). Get started with our free Minecraft class.
Written by Bryan Gordon, a Create & Learn instructor. After ten years of working as an English teacher, Bryan began studying Math and Computer Science over the past few years. Aside from writing and teaching, he likes cooking, gardening, playing guitar, and hanging out with his cats, Baguette and Wally.
