My kids have a tendency to start at step ten. They don’t want to do basic stuff; they want to start with the coolest of advanced projects. From the time Brad was about 10 he had visions of building a robot. But it had to be a fully functional robot that did something. I was not much help in this category, and he was frustrated with my suggestions to learn about wiring as a first step.

When I tracked down a book called Build Your Own Underwater Robot and Other Wet Projects, he was thrilled. It features step by step instructions that were easy to follow, with each project resulting in an actual working remotely operated vehicle. It’s no R2D2, but it was a pretty successful project, as I detailed here.

The book features a brief history of undersea exploration and a look at the capabilities of modern underwater vehicles, along with instructions for creating four different projects: a diving bell, an underwater habitat, and underwater glider, and an ROV. The instructions are very clear; a teen would be able to craft a vehicle on his/her own, but a younger child would benefit from some adult assistance. It’s kind of an obscure title, but one worth looking for if your child is interested in this sort of thing. The publisher is in Canada, but offers buying options for US customers.

Check out all of the books posted for Nonfiction Monday over at Anastasia Suen’s blog.