Computer and coding books today
Our latest books on coding using Scratch and Python will give today's kids a clear understanding of computers and coding.
On this website you can browse and buy Usborne books in English, French, German, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Dutch, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese.
In the UK and Europe, you can buy directly from Usborne or from an Independent Usborne Books at Home Organiser. In the USA you can buy books via links to Usborne Books & More, the website of our US distributors.
Elsewhere in the world we provide links to local online retailers who will fulfil and deliver your order. Please check the retailer’s delivery destinations to make sure they deliver where you are.
Children’s Publisher of the Year 2020
Usborne has been publishing award-winning computer books since the 1980s, and we're happy to offer free pdfs of these books to download.
Simply scroll down to see the books and click on a cover. NB these programs don't work on modern computers. Please read our copyright notice.
Many of today's tech professionals were inspired by the Usborne computing books they read as children. The books included program listings for such iconic computers as the ZX Spectrum, the BBC Micro and the Commodore 64, and are still used in some computer clubs today.
Here are the latest pdf versions of classic 1980s Usborne computer books.
Our latest books on coding using Scratch and Python will give today's kids a clear understanding of computers and coding.
These pdf copies of the original Usborne Computer Guides published in the 1980s are free to download for your own personal or educational use. The books and files are the copyright of Usborne Publishing. You can provide a link to the pdfs from your website, but you may not host or distribute the original files.
Please note
These books were written for 1980s computers such as the ZX Spectrum and BBC Micro. The programs will not run on modern computers. For any enquiries please use the Contact us form.
Adapting the programs
You may adapt any of the programs in these books to modern computer languages, and share the adaptations freely online. You may not use the adaptations for commercial purposes. Please credit the name of the Usborne book from which you adapted the program, and provide a link to this webpage.