Minecraft: The Complete Handbook Collection Hardcover – October 21, 2014

My 9yr old son is a relatively new Minecraft fanatic, just starting out, but is completely and utterly passionate about it. Since he's also a reluctant reader, I hoped these books would initiate some interest. We just received them today and I'm happy to say they definitely did! He sat down and flipped through each of them, then spent another half hour reading certain passages before hopping on the game, inspired! He even put it on the highest shelf away from his 4yr old brother, which speaks highly of its instantly treasured status.As to the set itself, I chose these ones because they're official and well-written, unlike many of the Minecraft guides available on the internet. I love how the set looks both boxed and unboxed, definitely display worthy, and the books feel very high quality and well-made. Each book is gorgeously detailed on the covers, and the pages inside are printed on thick, glossy paper, are colorful, and full of well-illustrated information. The back of each book has a blurb about the contents, which are as follows:Essential Handbook - You're alone in a mysterious new world, full of hidden dangers. You have only minutes to find food and shelter before darkness falls and the monsters come looking for you. What do you do? The official Minecraft Essentials Handbook might just save your life. Learn how to find resources; make a shelter; craft tools, armor and weapons; and protect yourself from monsters. With tips from Minecraft experts, as well as developer Jeb, and creator Notch himself, it's the definitive guide to surviving your first few days in Minecraft.Combat Handbook - In Minecraft, you're never alone and the threat of attack is constant. How can you survive? The official Combat Handbook will teach you everything you need to know to defend yourself from hostile monsters and enemy players. Learn how to build a fort, craft armor and weapons, set mob traps, defeat your enemies in one-on-one combat, and battle your way out of the Nether and the End. With tips from many Minecraft experts, as well as the team behind the game at Mojang, you'll be a formidable Minecraft warrior in no time!Construction handbook - There's nothing that can't be built in Minecraft, but with so many possibilities, where do you start? And how will you ever match the creative flair of the experts? The official Minecraft Construction Handbook is packed with tips and step-by-step instructions from master building team FyreUK. You'll learn how to construct houses, bridges, ships, floating islands, and roller coasters that will amaze other players. Plus, check out some of the most awe-inspiring community builds to fuel your own creative genius. You'll be a master builder in no time!Redstone Handbook - Here's everything you need to know to get connected to the electrfying possibilities of redstone. From basic mining and logic circuits to more advanced mechanics, this book will give you step-by-step instructions to get you fully wired to redstone. With builds including redstone traps and arrow launchers, you'll never fear creepers again! Plus, see some of the most amazing community creations from the very best redstone builders - they'll blow your mind!So far there is absolutely nothing we dislike about this set, and the price is great - definitely worth the investment. :)

We got this set for our 3rd and 1st grade boys in November along with the Xbox 360 Minecraft game. They already knew a little bit about how to play from friends and watching videos on YouTube, but definitely were still beginners. These books are read and referenced regularly by both of them. For an adult they are a super easy read (I read them all in one evening after they went to bed). I appreciate them as they made it so I (a non-gamer mom) could understand the game, chat with the kids about it, understand what they're talking about when they talk about creepers, enderman, Steve, magma cubes, the nether, wither skeletons, etc., and I can actually grab a controller and play the game. Minecraft is a game that my kids love and never tire of playing or discussing. These books are an integral part of their (and my) learning the game. Totally worth it to get this hard cover set. High quality glossy paper and very durable. (On a separate but related note, any skeptics about whether or not Minecraft is appropriate for kids just needs to take a read through these books to understand the incredible creative potential in this game and all the problem-solving skills that can be learned, along with basic mechanics involved in building some of the redstone-powered machines from scratch. I would rather they play Minecraft vs any other kids video games we have. To me as a lifelong lover of Legos, it's like having an endless box of electronic Legos to play and build with. Love it!) These books are an excellent purchase and I recommend them highly!

NOTE: This series is published by Scholastic, which releases books for the children's and young adult book market; its layout, vocab, and reading/complexity levels are designed to be appropriate and accessible for those age ranges.My son had been waiting for this collection with bated breath. Having already read two of the titles this lovely set contains, we knew the quality and comprehensiveness of the collection. Bright graphics, visually appealing layout, and concisely presented tutorials all make this set a must-have for the serious Minecraft enthusiast. There is a great deal of valuable information for Minecraft players of all levels. Each book is about 80 pages long and all are full of visuals. The box is sturdy and attractive, and the hardcover books within are all high-quality bound. Also of great value to me is that I can get my son to read (and re-read!) these books without prodding! For any Minecraft gamer, this set makes a perfect holiday gift item. MINECRAFT: THE COMPLETE HANDBOOK COLLECTION is a very successful combination of both style and substance.ADDITIONAL INFO: The four titles in this set are: The Essential Handbook (green cover) and the Redstone Handbook (brown cover), both originally published individually in 2013, and the Construction Handbook (turquoise cover) and the Combat Handbook (red cover, very close in hue to the Redstone cover), both of which were first published in 2014. I list the cover colors because many younger Minecraft players refer to the books by color. THE CRAFTING HANDBOOK (with similar looking cover art) IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS SET, as it is not published by Scholastic as part of its Official Mojang Minecraft series; the crafting guide was written as an unofficial Minecraft novel, as an original work of fan fiction by an independent individual.