Get the best books to learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript. From beginner-friendly primers to more advanced texts, each book will provide you with the knowledge and best practices needed to build stunning websites from scratch. Start your coding journey today!
Web development is an exciting and rewarding career path, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
If you're interested in learning how to create websites from scratch, then you need to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These are the three most essential programming languages used for web development today and mastering them is key to becoming a successful web developer.
But where do you start? Don't worry. To help you on your journey towards coding mastery, we've put together a list of the best books for learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Whether you’re a beginner just getting into coding or an experienced developer looking to refresh their knowledge, these titles will give you an in-depth understanding of all three coding languages so you can start creating websites.
Each book is loaded with step-by-step instructions, practical examples, and best practices to get you up and running in no time.
Ready to start your coding journey? Read on for our list of the best books for learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Why learn HTML, CSS & JavaScript?
HTML, CSS and JavaScript are the cornerstone of modern web development. It's important to learn them if you want to create websites or web applications.
- HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language and is used for describing the structure of a webpage. It defines page elements such as headings, paragraphs, images and links.
- CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and is used for describing the look and feel of a page. It allows you to control the font, color, layout and other design elements.
- And with JavaScript, you can create dynamic content, such as interactive forms and menus, slideshows and more.
Joel Falconer
If you're ready to jump into the world of web development, these top books for learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are a great place to start. Knowing these three programming languages gives you the power to build almost any type of website imaginable.
The best books for learning HTML, CSS & JavaScript
These books are great for beginners, as they start with the basics and move on to more advanced concepts. They also provide plenty of examples and code snippets that illustrate how HTML, CSS, and JavaScript work together.
Learning Web Design by Jennifer Niederst Robbins
Learning Web Design is a comprehensive guide to the fundamentals of front-end web development. It covers everything from basic HTML and CSS to more advanced topics like JavaScript and responsive design. With clear explanations and plenty of visuals, this book is perfect for anyone who wants to get started with web design.
Learning Web Design
Learning Web Design by Jennifer Niederst Robbins is the perfect book for those looking to gain an in-depth understanding of front-end HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
With clear explanations and plenty of practical examples, this comprehensive guide will help you hone your skills and build beautiful web designs that feature attractive layouts, meaningful content structure, and interactive elements.
Get ready to take your web design skills to the next level!
This book is full of practical examples of HTML, CSS and JavaScript in action, allowing readers to immediately apply their newfound knowledge.
With Learning Web Design as your guide, you'll gain the skills needed to create professional web designs that feature beautiful layouts, attractive typography, meaningful content structure, and interactive elements.
You'll learn how all three of these technologies work together to create web pages, and how you can use HTML5 elements and APIs along with CSS3 properties and selectors to make your sites look beautiful. You'll also get an in-depth understanding of the role that JavaScript plays in creating dynamic, interactive websites filled with rich content. Finally, you'll learn how to create and optimize web graphics for maximum impact.
Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced web designer, Learning Web Design will help you hone your skills and expand your understanding of the technologies used to create modern websites.
HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide by Elizabeth Castro
HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide is an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn HTML and CSS quickly and efficiently. With this book, you'll learn how to design, structure, and format your website with step-by-step instructions that are easy to understand.
You'll also get up-to-date coverage of HTML5 elements and form input types, as well as how to create and use images, links, styles, and forms. Plus, you'll learn how to add visual effects with CSS3 and understand web standards. Finally, you'll test and debug your site and publish it to the web.
Get this book today if you want to start learning HTML and CSS right away!
HTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide
If you're looking for a fast and effective way to learn HTML and CSS, then this book is the perfect choice. With step-by-step instructions that are easy to understand, you'll be building beautiful websites in no time.
Plus, it covers all of HTML5 elements and form input types, so you can stay up-to-date with the latest web development best practices. Get this book today and start creating amazing websites!
Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript (6th Edition) by Robin Nixon
Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites is a must-have for aspiring web developers. In addition to the titular PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript, you'll also learn to work with HTML and CSS.
It's an all-in-one guide to learn the fundamentals of web development and programming, getting you proficient in both front-end and back-end web development quickly.
From understanding database structure and writing complex queries to creating secure web pages and enhancing your sites with JavaScript, you'll learn everything you need to know about these powerful programming languages. You'll build a complete social networking site that's suitable for both desktop and mobile browsers.
We love this integrated approach to the full stack as a way for practically-minded project learners to explore different facets of web development in one go. You'll go from knowing nothing about HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL to creating websites that utilize powerful databases and engage visitors with interactive content.
Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript is an excellent choice. With this book in your library, you can quickly learn enough to become dangerous with code. It's the perfect resource for any aspiring programmer.
Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript
If you want to become a full-stack web developer, then Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript is an excellent choice. This book takes you through the fundamentals of web development and programming in both front-end and back-end development quickly and easily. You'll learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL to create dynamic websites that are suitable for both desktop and mobile browsers. Pick this book up today and become a web development pro in no time!
We recommend Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites (6th Edition) as one of the best books for learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, alongside some major back-end technologies.
Written in an easy-to-follow style, this all-in-one guide will take you from beginner to proficiency quite quickly. You'll learn the fundamentals of web development and programming while creating a fully functional social networking site. Get this book to start your journey into web development today!
Eloquent JavaScript (3rd Edition) by Marijn Haverbeke
Eloquent JavaScript (3rd Edition) is a best-selling book that teaches readers everything they need to know about JavaScript.
With clear explanations and plenty of examples, it's perfect for both beginners and experienced developers — and anyone who wants to learn more about the fundamentals of programming.
That's because Eloquent JavaScript aims to teach through conceptual understanding, rather than tutorial-style replication and memorization. You'll develop a deep understanding of the language, learning how to write clean and effective code — not just copy-paste from other sources.
Eloquent JavaScript covers the core of the JavaScript programming language from basic concepts like variables, functions, and objects to more advanced concepts such as regular expressions, functional programming, and asynchronous JavaScript.
The book offers exercises at the end of each chapter and full-chapter projects that help readers gain hands-on experience with the language. All source code is available online in an interactive sandbox, where readers can edit the code, run it, and see its output instantly.
Eloquent JavaScript helps readers to understand how JavaScript is used in modern web browsers and servers, and includes projects like an artificial life simulation, a simple programming language, and a pixel art editor.
Eloquent JavaScript (3rd Edition)
With its engaging writing style, detailed explanations, helpful exercises and all-new illustrative examples, Eloquent JavaScript (3rd Edition) is an essential book for anyone looking to learn JavaScript.
Throughout the book, author Marijn Haverbeke breaks down each concept into easy-to-understand pieces. Along the way, you'll also complete exercises designed to reinforce your understanding of concepts covered in the book.
With this book, you'll be one step closer to becoming a JavaScript expert. Get Eloquent JavaScript today and start learning the language of the web.
Head First HTML & CSS by Elisabeth Robson and Eric Freeman
Head First HTML & CSS is the perfect introduction to learning HTML and CSS, with a focus on the basics and best practices for modern web development.
Written by two experienced web developers, Elisabeth Robson and Eric Freeman, this book is packed full of information, tips, tricks, and examples to help you learn how to create standards-based websites.
Head First HTML & CSS is a great book for complete beginners who want to learn how to create websites. The teaching style is very easy to understand, and the exercises are helpful in reinforcing what you learn.
Head First HTML & CSS
Head First HTML & CSS is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to learn web development. It's easy to understand and covers all the necessary material, though you may need to supplement it with other resources given that some of the information is now outdated.
The book is still recommended to complete coding beginners. It'll assume less knowledge and break things down more than some other technical material, which can often presume a higher base proficiency in computing.
If you're learning to code but don't have much technical or computing background outside of development, this is the perfect resource for you.
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide (7th Edition) by David Flanagan
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide is an essential book for any programmer who wants to master the language of the web.
Written by David Flanagan, an experienced programmer with a degree in computer science and engineering from MIT, this book is perfect for beginners and more advanced users alike.
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
If you want to become a proficient, well-rounded JavaScript programmer, this is the book for you.
Written by an experienced programmer with a degree in computer science and engineering from MIT, it covers everything from the basics of JavaScript to more advanced topics such as objects, prototypes, and Node.js.
With detailed information on all of the APIs implemented by web browsers and by Node.js, this book is essential for any programmer who wants a deep understanding of the language of the web. Start mastering JavaScript today with JavaScript: The Definitive Guide.
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide covers everything from the basics of JavaScript to more advanced topics such as objects, prototypes, and Node.js. It provides a comprehensive overview of the language, illustrated by numerous examples, making it easy to understand even complicated concepts.
The Definitive Guide's seventh edition represents a major revision. It provides a special focus on modern JavaScript programming paradigms, and includes detailed information on all of the APIs implemented by web browsers and by Node.js. Whether you are starting from scratch or already using JavaScript professionally, it includes everything you need to know in order to become an expert.
This book will help you take your conceptual grasp and fluency of the language of the web to the next level.
HTML & CSS: Design and Build Websites by Jon Duckett
HTML & CSS: Design and Build Websites is the perfect book for beginners who want to learn HTML and CSS. It's packed with easy-to-follow, beautiful visuals on every page to help you understand the concepts better.
Written by Jon Duckett, a leading web design expert, this full-color guide covers everything from the basics of HTML & CSS and creating modern webpages to best practices for web design.
HTML & CSS starts with an introduction to the web and how it works. You’ll learn how to structure your pages using HTML and style them up with CSS3. It then covers topics such as page layout, typography, and visual design.
Along the way, you will learn about other essential web technologies like JavaScript and responsive web design, organize your code, and structure your pages for maximum efficiency. You will learn how to write modular, reusable code and keep your designs consistent across devices.
By the end of HTML & CSS: Design and Build Websites you will have all the knowledge needed to create attractive, user-friendly websites that work on any device.
HTML & CSS: Design and Build Websites
This is the perfect book for those who want to learn HTML, CSS, and web design from scratch!
With its comprehensive coverage of the basics and practical advice on how to write code efficiently and create engaging user experiences, this visual learning book will help you achieve success in web development.
Download the code to get started, and see your progress in real-time as you learn. Get ready to create attractive, user-friendly websites that work on any device!
JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford
JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford is an essential book for anyone looking to get more out of the JavaScript programming language.
If you develop sites or applications for the web, this book is an absolute must. It’s a deep look at the best features of JavaScript, from syntax to objects and functions to inheritance, regular expressions, methods and style.
From the preface, Crockford explains that this book is best suited to those looking to "learn to think in JavaScript" rather than serve as a comprehensive reference book.
JavaScript: The Good Parts gives readers the best of what JavaScript has to offer, helping them to more quickly master the language. You'll discover a beautiful, elegant, lightweight, and highly expressive language that lets you create effective code, whether you're managing object libraries or just trying to get your interface to run fast.
Through the book, you’ll discover how powerful JavaScript can be when used properly and sidestep the need to unlearn all the bad parts. Written by one of the most respected names in web development, Douglas Crockford, it's a must-read for web developers looking to get the best out of their projects.
JavaScript: The Good Parts
The ultimate guide for any programmer looking to take their JavaScript skills to the next level, JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford is an essential read. It’s a deep dive into the best features of the language, from the basics of syntax to advanced concepts like objects and inheritance.
With this book, you’ll discover how powerful JavaScript can be when used correctly and learn best practices that will help take your projects to the next level. Pick up a copy today and start mastering JavaScript.
You Don't Know JS
Are you looking to learn JavaScript at the deepest levels from the fundamentals to the most advanced concepts? Look no further than You Don’t Know JS. Written by Kyle Simpson, this best-selling book series is perfect for beginners who want to explore JavaScript in detail from the ground up.
Each book in the series focuses on a different aspect of JavaScript, such as values, functions and types, prototypes and more. With illuminating explanations and examples from Kyle Simpson, one of the best JavaScript developers in the world today, you'll learn the fundamentals of JavaScript quickly, and on the surest footing.
These concepts are communicated with great detail and clarity so you can fully understand how they apply to writing code. With this series, you’ll be prepared to tackle even the most difficult programming tasks.
You Don't Know JS Yet: Get Started (2nd Edition)
Looking for the best way to get started with JavaScript?
This first book in the series will teach you all the fundamentals you need to get up and running. You Don't Know JS Yet: Get Started is a must-have for any programmer wanting to master the arcane arts and take their JavaScript skills up a power level.
Written in an engaging and conversational tone, You Don't Know JS Yet: Get Started covers all sides of the language in multiple layers of detail. Readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of this powerful programming language. You'll be exploring:
- the evolution of JavaScript,
- the building blocks of the language and its roots and pillars,
- best practices for code organization,
- common myths about JavaScript,
- best ways to use values and functions,
- the importance of closure and prototypes.
- effective practice for your JavaScript skills
You Don't Know JS Yet: Get Started is an essential book for anyone wanting to understand JavaScript in-depth. This book will help readers understand the inner workings of JavaScript so they can confidently write awesome programs with best practices in mind.
If you're ready to become a master of your language, read this best-selling book!
You'll find everything you need to start writing modern JavaScript applications with confidence. So if you're ready to take your JavaScript skills up a notch — if you want to master the arcane arts — pick up these best-selling books.
You Don't Know JS Yet: Scope & Closures (2nd Edition)
Learn how to write modern JavaScript applications with confidence. Written by one of the best developers in the business – Kyle Simpson – this book covers a wide range of topics up to the most advanced concepts. Take your JavaScript knowledge to the next level with You Don't Know JS Yet: Scope & Closures.
Scope & Closures is an in-depth guide that will help you understand how scope and closures work — some of the most important topics in JavaScript. You’ll learn about the inner workings of scope, closures and functions, as well as best practices for organizing your code into logical modules.
You'll learn how they all affect your code, best practices in using them, and common errors you might encounter along the way.
- Master best practices on how to organize variables into different buckets of scope
- Limit scope over-exposure and improve your code maintainability
- Learn about nesting lexical scopes with functions and blocks
- Learn how closure empowers developers to have the best of both worlds, enabling better code organization and data encapsulation
- Master closure creation and use their ability to work with variables across calls to your advantage
- Learn how to manipulate values and functions, understand function forms, and much more.
- You'll explore how to properly construct your programs to make sure that they’re reliable and efficient.
With a clear approach to teaching complex material and detailed explanations of key concepts, You Don't Know JS Yet: Scope & Closures has been praised by many developers for its “outstanding depth of knowledge”, making it a must-have for any aspiring JavaScript developer. It offers practice exercises so you can test and reinforce your skills as you go along.
Ultimately, you'll understand why the language works the way it does. Get deep into the core of how JavaScript works to unlock its greatest powers. If you're looking to become an expert programmer this best-selling book will take your JavaScript skills up a power level.
You Don't Know JS Yet is the best series for gaining a deeper understanding of JavaScript. With clear explanations and examples from one of the best JavaScript teachers in the world today, you'll be sure to learn the fundamentals quickly.
JavaScript for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming by Nick Morgan
JavaScript for Kids is a perfect way for kids (and adults) to learn how to code in JavaScript.
Written in an easy-to-understand style, this book covers the basics of JavaScript in a fun and engaging way. JavaScript for Kids is a great way to learn to code with practice exercises to help you practice your skills and fun illustrations.
JavaScript for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming
If you want to get your kids involved in coding, then JavaScript for Kids is the perfect place to start. Written in an easy-to-understand style, this book covers all of the basics of programming with JavaScript and offers fun challenges at the end of each chapter.
With visual examples like bouncing balls, animated bees, and racing cars, your kids will be able to see how programming works in action. Get this book today and get your kids coding!
With this book, you'll learn how to create functions, write and modify HTML code, use the DOM and jQuery to add interactivity to web pages, animate graphics with Canvas elements, and create real user-controlled games.
Get this book today if you want to let your kids explore the world of coding.
Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (3rd Edition) by Steve Krug
If you're serious about creating a website that's user-friendly, then Don't Make Me Think, Revisited is the perfect book for you.
This revised edition of Steve Krug's classic book on web usability covers all of the most important principles behind intuitive navigation and information design. With this book, you'll be able to create sites that are simple and easy to use, while also looking stunning. Get this book today and start designing websites that people love!
Don't Make Me Think, Revisited is a must-read for anyone interested in user experience and web design best practices.
Don't Make Me Think, Revisited
If you're serious about creating a website that's user-friendly, then Don't Make Me Think, Revisited is the perfect book for you. You'll learn all about web usability and best practices for intuitive navigation and information design. With this book, you'll be able to design sites and apps that are simple, easy-to-use, and intuitive —no trade-off on aesthetics required.
Professional JavaScript for Web Developers (4th Edition) by Matt Frisbee
Professional JavaScript for Web Developers (4th Edition) is the essential book for any web developer looking to update their skillset. With 1,200 pages of technical details on ES6 and advanced browser APIs, this book will help you become a more sophisticated JavaScript developer.
Learn about classes, promises, async/await, proxies, iterators and generators, symbols, modules, spread/rest operators and much more. Plus, get hundreds of working code examples that demonstrate concepts clearly and concisely.
Professional JavaScript for Web Developers
Professional JavaScript for Web Developers is perfect for intermediate-to-advanced programmers, and covers everything you need to know about modern JavaScript development. Whether you're newer to the language or have been using it for years, this book will help you take your skills to the next level.
Conclusion
If you're looking to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, then these 12 books are the perfect place to start. With step-by-step instructions and plenty of examples, you'll be able to create beautiful websites in no time.
Joel Falconer
Hopefully this list of best books to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript was helpful in finding the best book for you. Whether you're a beginner programmer or a little more experienced, these books will help you improve your skills and become a better web developer.
