Top 35 JavaScript Books for Beginners and Experienced Programmers (Updated 2024)

Trista
Updated Nov 9, 2024
240691
5 min read

Since created in 1995, JavaScript became the most popular front end programming language. you can find it on GitHub or anywhere that comes to front-end web development. It allows creating advanced user interaction. To help newcomers get started, as well as enhance the skills of experienced programmers, here we put together 35 best JavaScript books.

Want to quickly find books relevant to your level? Check the table below:

Part 1: 16 Best JavaScript Books for Beginners

Part 2: 9 Best JavaScript Books for Advanced Programmers

Part 3: More JavaScript Books

Part 1: 16 Best JavaScript Books for Beginners

1. JavaScript for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming


JavaScrip-for-kids

Author: Nick Morgan

This book is a very thorough guide for learners with no knowledge of JavaScript at all. It offers step-by-step examples paired with funny illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions so that you will learn programming essentials faster and easier. I have learned a lot while reading this book, and I am so willing to recommend it to whoever was looking for a beginner’s guide to JavaScript.

2. Head First JavaScript Programming:Brain-Friendly Guide

Author: Eric Freeman

Head-first-javaScrip-programming

If you want to learn JavaScript language fundamentals in a great and casual way, this book is an absolute must-have. As a brain-friendly guide, it will help you learn almost everything about JavaScript, including the essentials such as how to work with the objects, the functions, and the browser’s document object model. What I particularly like about this book is excellent exercises and ready-to-use solutions.

3. JavaScript and JQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development

Author: Jon Duckett

JavaScript-and-JQuery


This book adopts a visual approach to teach JavaScript and jQuery. By reading this book, you will discover presentation of a definition of terms, tutorials that led a beginner through the fundamentals of learning JavaScript and JQuery, and so much more useful stuff. All the instructions in the book are clear and easy to follow, causing zero study loads.

4. Speaking JavaScript: An In-Depth Guide for Programmers

Author: Axel Rauschmayer

Speaking-JavaScript

This book is a quick-start guide that teaches you just enough of the language fundamentals and helps you be more productive. You will learn much more than just the language of JavaScript, but also the history and nature of JavaScript, it's pros and cons, etc.

5. Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition: A Modern Introduction to Programming Paperback

Author: Marijn Haverbeke

Eloquent-JavaScript

Anyone who wants to learn JavaScript will get a lot out of this book. You will learn how to write elegant and effective JavaScript code, the fundamentals of variables, control structures, functions, data structures, and even the complex topics like object-oriented programming and regular expressions. This book can serve as a complete guide for JavaScript learners. It begins with essentials and then moves on to some advanced topics, almost covering all information a front-end web developer needs to know about JavaScript.

6. JavaScript: The Definitive Guide

Author: David Flanagan

JavaScript-The-definitive-guide

Anyone doing web development should keep this book. It is a fantastic resource covering every facet of the JavaScript language and the DOM. This book will be your reference guide whenever you have a question. In addition, there are many sample implementations and answers to some common questions.

7. JavaScript: JavaScript Programming

Author: Brian Jenkins

JavaScript-programming

This is a step-by-step guide for JavaScript beginners who want to learn how to develop for the web. Simple language, clear samples, and beautiful typography help you digest all information effortlessly. It is nice that the author has introduced some of the best resources to learn JavaScript from scratch. Also, this book has a Kindle edition.

8. Beginning JavaScript and CSS Development with jQuery

Author: Richard York

Beginning-javaScript-and-CSS-development-with-jQuery

This book is written for basic learners to start learning JavaScript and CSS. It is unique, project-oriented, and it covers the jQuery JavaScript framework and the jQuery UI JavaScript framework. If you are a web designer eager to do more with your web-based applications but do not necessarily have much JavaScript experience, this book will be perfect for you.

9. Learn JavaScript

Author: Alban Andahi

Learn-Javascript

You will learn the basics of programming and the JavaScript language in the first chapter of Learn JavaScript. This book contains 8 brief chapters; each provides a quick summary of essential concepts. Both experienced programmer and starters can enjoy reading this book.

10. Beginning JavaScript, 3rd Edition (Programmer to Programmer)

Author: Paul Wilton

Beginning-JavaScript

This book is intended for beginners who want to gain solid JavaScript skills. This book has an excellent format with each code sample is explained line by line so you can follow it easily. But to completely digest all the information of this book, you’d better have an understanding of HTML and how to create a static web page. This book will help you move on to learn how to create powerful web applications. In addition, if you are also new to HTML, check the Complete Beginner’s Guide to Learn HTML and CSS in 2019.

11. JavaScript(TM)Step by Step

Author: Steve Suehring

JavaScript-step-by-step

New to JavaScript and want to start writing code? Try JavaScript(TM) Step by Step. This book is one of the top recommendations for everyone who wants to learn JavaScript from the zero-basis level. It will teach you all of the foundational basics, including what is JavaScript, what it does and what it doesn’t do, the history of JavaScript, and what you can do with it. Moreover, it provides a lot of simple examples of JavaScript code, which will be especially valuable for beginners.

12. jQuery in Action

Author: Bear Bibeault, Yehuda Katz, Aurelio De Rosa

jQuery-in-action


jQuery in Action is a complete guide to jQuery. What makes this book special is that it focused on the tasks you'll face in nearly any web development project. It explains things in detail, provides full reference material for the options and parameters, and covers the ground. The book is an excellent resource, but I have to admit that if you want to get the most out of this book, you should have some basic jQuery skills before reading the book.

13. JavaScript:The Good Parts

Author: Douglas Crockford

JavaScript-the-good-parts

This book is all about JavaScript programming language. It is for programmers who want to dive into JavaScript for the first time. This book is short, but the 176-page long content does describe a subject of JavaScript and creates a solid foundation for using the language.

14. Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript

Author: David Herman

Effective-javaScript


Author David Herman is a principal researcher at Mozilla Research. He has years of experience working in Ecma’s JavaScript standardization committee. His book will help you take full advantage of JavaScript language. Although this book can help beginners learn JavaScript, it would be best for those who have already learned the basics of JavaScript.

15. A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript: The new approach that uses technology to cut your effort in half

Author: Mark Myers

Smarter-way-learn-JavaScript

This book is an excellent reference guide. It is clear, well organized, and gets straight to the point. It will help you write code quickly even if you know absolutely nothing about JavaScript.

16. JavaScript for impatient programmers

Author: Axel Rauschmayer

Impatient-js

This book aims to make the process of learning JavaScript less challenging for newcomers. If you're interested in how to get started quickly without any programming experience, this book will be a fantastic read.

Part 2: 9 Best JavaScript Books for Advanced Programmers

17. Javascript in Ten Minutes

Author: : Spencer Tipping

Javascript-in-10-minutes

How long will it take you to learn JavaScript? If you want to get to know JavaScript as fast as you can, try JavaScript in Ten Minutes. This book is a perfect guide for anyone who wants to learn JavaScript basics and some advanced features. This book has a PDF edition, and you can download it online.

18. You Don't Know JavaScript: Up & Going

Author: Kyle Simpson

You-don't-know-javaScript

This is the book to help you learn JavaScript completely and sufficiently. It features concise, tightly written and absolutely disciplined. This book provides a lot of instructions for people with limited programming skills. No matter whether you have only basic experience in JavaScript or you are a seasoned programmer; you will find what matters to you in this book. Besides, there is a free source of this book.

19. Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja

Author: John Resig, Bear Bibeault, Josip Maras

Secrets-of-the-javaScript-ninja

Secrets of the JavaScript is very-well written in easy to understand language. It gives in-depth knowledge of how JavaScript works in the browser environment and covers all the major topics a good JavaScript developer should understand. The authors have deliberately chosen the path of not using JQuery in examples to perfectly reflect current trends.

20. The Principles of Object-Oriented JavaScript

Author: Nicholas C. Zakas

The-principles-of-object-oriented-javaScript

Nicholas C. Zakas is known for writing and speaking about the latest in JavaScript best practices. His book The Principles of Object-Oriented JavaScript can serve as a great proof of this. It aims to teach anyone who wants to know some of the JavaScript fundamentals and get more familiar with OOP JavaScript.

21. Programming JavaScript Applications

Author: Eric Elliott

Programming-javaScript-applications

If you want to take your existing JavaScript skills to the next level or want to learn how to build a complete web-scale/enterprise app, then you should check this book. The book covers almost everything you need to know about JavaScript, including basic concepts of functional programming, JavaScript best practices, introduction to prototypes, and object composition.

22. JavaScript Allongé, the "Six" Edition

Author: Reginald Braithwaite

JavaScript-allongé

JavaScript Allongé is a well-written book that solves two important problems for the ambitious JavaScript programmers. It gives you recommendations on how to deal with JavaScript bugs, hitches, edge cases, and other potential pitfalls. It also provides ready-to-use patterns for using functions to write software that is simpler, cleaner, and less complicated than alternative approaches that are object-centric or code-centric.

23. Node.JavaScript in Action 1st Edition

Author: Mike Cantelon

Node-JavaScript-in-action

Node.JavaScript in Action is an example-driven tutorial for new learners who are just starting in software development. It offers a precise overview of the JavaScript app architecture and guides you through all the features, techniques, and concepts you'll need to build production-quality Node applications.

24. High Performance Browser Networking

Author: Ilya Grigorik

High-performance-browser-networking

This book is definitely a must-read for every software developer to gain the most comprehensive overview of web performance. It is not just about JavaScript, but about more programming in general, including technologies, from fundamental limitations, complex networking concepts, TCP/UDP, TLS and much more.

25. JavaScript Enlightenment

Author: Cody Lindley

JavaScript-enlightenment

If you start to read this book before knowing anything about JavaScript, you may find it was too difficult to comprehend. This book will be a fantastic read for developers who work with React, Vue, or Angular code and find recent changes in JavaScript language cause too much indirection.

Part 3: More JavaScript Books

26. Web Audio Api

Author: Boris Smus

This is a great book for anyone who wants to get the most of Web Audio API.

27. JavaScript Programmer's Reference

Author: Alexei White

This book is both a tutorial and a reference guide for web developers. You will learn everything about utilizing the JavaScript language.

28. Composing Software

Author: Eric Elliott

This is another book written by Eric Elliott. He shares the fundamentals of composition, including both function composition and object composition, and explores them in the context of JavaScript.

29. Thinking in JavaScript

Author: Aravind Shenoy

You will learn the basic concept of JavaScript and how to use it in web designing. An excellent general overview of jQuery.

30. JavaScript & DHTML Cookbook

Author: Danny Goodman

In his book, Danny Goodman covers many common problems that vex scripters face daily.

31. Human JavaScript

Author: Henrik Joreteg

This book will help you build native HTML5 apps.

32. Functional-Light JavaScript

Author: Kyle Simpson

Kyle Simpson explores the core principles of functional programming (FP) and how they apply to JavaScript.

33. Learning JavaScript Data Structures and Algorithms

Author: Loiane Groner

This book covers the basics of the JavaScript language and introducing ECMAScript 7.

34.Learning JavaScript

Author: Todd Brown

This book will guide you through simple and straightforward topics, and also covers complex concepts such as functional and asynchronous programming.

35. Learn JavaScript VISUALLY

Author: Ivelin Demirov

This is a beautifully illustrated full-color JavaScript book that teaches the basics.

Summary

These were the 35 best JavaScript books you can read. We hope you will have happy learning while reading the books!

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