# Electronics for Kids by Charles Platt

4 Hacker News commenters recommended Electronics for Kids by Charles Platt and 5 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 1 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as an introduction to electronics; one reader's father gave it to them at age 10. Critics say the age recommendations and intended audience are wrong.

## Why people recommend it

- Introduced by a parent at age ten (1 comments): "My father introduced this book to me when I was around 10. I will forever be grateful." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47474202))
- Chapter preview looks appealing (1 comments): "Seems a cool book, from the chapter preview" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47474779))
- Praised as a great book (1 comments): "this is a great but not free book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47471237))

## What people warn about

- Age recommendations seem insulting (1 comments): "I find the age recommendations insulting." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47472529))
- Intended audience seems wrong (1 comments): "so the intended audience is wrong" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47474435))
- Earlier Mimms books called terrible (1 comments): "The Mimms books are actually terrible." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47499802))
- Costs money, not free (1 comments): "this is a great but not free book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47471237))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Secret Life of Circuits by Michał Zalewski](https://hackerapproved.com/p/secret-life-of-circuits.md): 26 recommend
- [The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill](https://hackerapproved.com/p/art-of-electronics.md): 11 recommend
- [PySDR: A Guide to SDR and DSP Using Python by Marc Lichtman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/pysdr-a-guide-to-sdr-and-dsp-using-python.md): 8 recommend
- [Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest Mims](https://hackerapproved.com/p/getting-started-in-electronics.md): 5 recommend
- [Practical Electronics for Inventors by Scherz and Monk](https://hackerapproved.com/p/practical-electronics-for-inventors.md): 4 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Electronics+for+Kids+by+Charles+Platt&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Electronics for Kids by Charles Platt", https://hackerapproved.com/p/electronics-for-kids-2nd-edition/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).