Help for my granddaughter!

[floyd]

I have an almost 13 year old granddaughter that is very good with logic puzzles and loves the computer and stated an interest in learning how to program games.
While I know my way around the PC, I've never done much in the line of programming. I am considering on buying her for Christmas a beginners guide to C++. My thinking is if she's going to learn she might as well gain some real life experience she can use as opposed to getting her a book on basic or something like that.
My question is two fold to you programmers. Is C++ going to be too difficult for a kid her age? And secondly any other recommendations for a simple C++ book or other suggestions if I'm not on the right path thinking about C++. I did find the MS visual C++ compiler that I downloaded for her and a beginners video from the MS website to supplement the book.
Any help will really be a appreciated.
Floyd

[Mada_Milty]

I started programming when I was 14 years old. (Mind you, I didn't start into C++ until 16, or 17) I've heard of child prodigies doing far more than I've ever done as an adult at far earlier than when I started.

I say this depends mostly on your granddaughter. If she's got a keen interest, and a good eye for details, there's no reason she couldn't learn C++.

I had a great textbook when I was learning, the teachers said they chose it because it was most user-friendly (as you may know C++ can be fairly dry and rigid syntactically). It is called C++ Programming Today (http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_johnston_cprogram_1/0,4021,130172-main,00.html).

[Wookie]

I started when I was about 12, I had a simple basic compiler and did not program again until I was 16 and started with PASCAL and have been coding ever since. C++ might be a bit rough for her being 13 as learning it can be quite boring and it is a bit lower level of a language and harder to understand. You might want to try something like VB or something more like a scripting language.

Having said that, here is a beginning C++ game programming book that might work

http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Through-Game-Programming-Second/dp/1598633600/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196972938&sr=8-2

but it assumes basic C++ knowledge, if she can handle C++ at that age though then she has some potential.

here is another book I stumbled across for teens

http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Teens-Second-Maneesh-Sethi/dp/1592008348/ref=pd_bbs_sr_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196972938&sr=8-8
seems to be some complaints about the compiler or IDE it comes with but other than that looks like good reviews