9 Must-Read React Native Books You Need on Your Bookshelf! [Updated]

React Native: an open source JavaScript code library developed and maintained by Facebook and Instagram (plus a thriving development community), which allows developers to build mobile apps using only JavaScript. It has been around for a couple of years already.

What’s so great about React Native is that it helps developers reuse code across different operating systems – namely iOS and Android. This means that engineers don’t have to build the same app twice from scratch – something that many startups and businesses have struggled with in the past.

Now, instead of having to hire engineers for both iOS and Android, with React Native, just one developer can write across both mobile operating systems. No wonder React Native is proving so popular.

Want to learn more about React Native? Of course you do. But where to start?

We’ve compiled a list of 9 React Native books that anyone wanting to educate themselves about the technology should have on their bookshelf. The following React Native books have all been published within the past 24 months, meaning that these are the most up-to-date print publications you can get your hands on.

In this list, you’ll find great React Native books you can turn to no matter if you’re a complete beginner, an advanced coder, or a dev who’s just intrigued to learn more about the React Native technology.

9 React Native Books that You Should Have On Your Bookshelf

1.Hands-On Design Patterns with React Native: Proven techniques and patterns for efficient native mobile development with JavaScript

This book is more advanced than previous ones. It explains common JavaScript design patterns and React Native development with the help of over 80 standalone examples. You will learn about patterns in React development, the Flux architecture, and using Redux. The book then goes through topics such as data transfer protocols, which means working with Redux Thunks and Redux Sagas. It has a whole chapter about React Navigation and React Native navigation. The end of the book explains different ECMAscript patterns and elements of functional programming in JavaScript.

• Title: Hands-On Design Patterns with React Native: Proven techniques and patterns for efficient native mobile development with JavaScript
• Author: Mateusz Grzesiukiewicz
• Published: September 29, 2018
• Price: $39.99 at Amazon

2. React Native Cookbook - Second Edition

What’s the best recipe for building rich and engaging user experiences in React Native? Author Dan Ward has the answer in his 592-page tome React Native Cookbook - Second Edition. Another great Reactive Native book for beginners, this publication, however, takes you beyond the basics towards some more advanced components of the technology. From building rich user interfaces to exploring various strategies for working with data, and from engineering universal apps to deploying successfully across multiple platforms, this book is for those looking to leverage their JavaScript skills and build fast and beautiful cross-platform native mobile applications. Tasty.

• Title: React Native Cookbook - Second Edition
• Authors: Dan Ward
• Published: January 2019
• Buy it: $16.00 at Packt

3.JavaScript Everywhere: Building Cross-Platform Applications with GraphQL, React, React Native, and Electron 1st Edition

This book stands out from the other ones on the list because it deals with the whole JavaScript ecosystem and using this language to build cross-platform applications. You will learn about building APIs with Node, Express, MongoDB, and Apollo Server. Other chapters are about front-end development and touch on topics like React, Electron, and React Native Expo.

• Title: JavaScript Everywhere: Building Cross-Platform Applications with GraphQL, React, React Native, and Electron 1st Edition
• Author: Adam D. Scott
• Published: February 6, 2020
• Buy it: $28.92 at Amazon

4. React Native for Mobile Development

React Native for Mobile Development is the second edition of React Native for iOS Development. It has been fully updated to include ECMAScript 7, the latest version of React Native and Redux, and development on Android. Through an exploration of the anatomy of React Native apps, the book details the differences between Redux and Flux and how you can use the former to solve data management more efficiently when working on your React Native projects. Taking a true example-driven approach that leaves you with a full up-and-running app at the end of each chapter, Paul and Nalwaya’s text will get you applying new skills as you learn them.

• Title: React Native for Mobile Development: Harness the Power of React Native to Create Stunning iOS and Android Applications 2nd Edition
• Authors: Akshat Paul and Abhishek Nalwaya
• Twitter: @paulakshat; @nalwayaabhishek
• Published: June 12, 2019
• Preorder: $34.99 at Amazon

5. React Native in Action: Developing iOS and Android Apps with JavaScript

The first chapter – ‘Getting Started with React Native’ – serves as a brilliant introduction to the technology for beginners. Chapter 2 covers not only the basics of React but also more advanced topics such as navigation, animations, and Redux. In Part 3, we’re taken through styling cross-platform components, APIs, and some iOS and Android specifics. In Part 4, we are bringing all the knowledge together and building a fun project. A great book to learn React Native for beginner-to-intermediate web, Android, and iOS developers.

• Title: React Native in Action: Developing iOS and Android Apps with JavaScript
• Author: Nader Dabit
• Twitter: @dabit3
• Published: March 2019
• Buy it: $49.99 in Manning Publications

6.React and React Native - A complete hands-on guide to modern web and mobile development with React.js, 3rd Edition

Taking you through both React and React Native, this book by Adam Boduch and Roy Derks is great for those who want to gain a better understanding of the original technology and then take what they’ve learned and build native UIs using React Native. You’ll learn how to build streamlined and responsive apps in a mobile environment and how to access device-specific APIs and handle offline development. React and React Native is the perfect book if you’re determined to build React applications that run on every major platform. In this sense, it is one of the more advanced React Native books on this list. The book was updated with information about React Native 0.62 and now covers Hook implementations, code splitting using lazy components and Suspense, user interface framework components using Material-UI, and Apollo.

• Title: React and React Native: A complete hands-on guide to modern web and mobile development with React.js, 3rd Edition
• Author: Adam Boduch and Roy Derks
• Twitter: @AdamBoduch
• Published: April 30, 2020
• Buy it: $35.99 at Packt

7. Fullstack React Native: Create beautiful mobile apps with JavaScript and React Native

Throughout the book you will build 4 different apps, starting from a weather app, time tracker, messaging app, and finally building Instagram clone. The book consists of 10 chapters filled with many code examples and tips for developing great apps both on iOS and Android. The creators of Fullstack React Native promise that book will be updated constantly, same as their previous books about Angular and React.

• Title: Fullstack React Native: Create beautiful mobile apps with JavaScript and React Native
• Authors: Devin Abbott, Houssein Djirdeh, Anthony Accomazzo and Sophia Shoemaker
• Published: September 22, 2019
• Buy it: $61.95 at Amazon

8. Practical React Native: Build Two Full Projects and One Full Game using React Native

As the author is claiming, the book will give you “solid foundation of practical knowledge”, which is later used to build full projects and sliding puzzle game. You will learn not only Expo, React Navigation, and Redux, but also server-side technologies such as Node.JS and Socket.io. The author assumes some HTML, CSS, and JavaScript knowledge, but with React Native you can start from the ground up and develop your skills with more and more advanced projects.

• Title: Practical React Native: Build Two Full Projects and One Full Game using React Native
• Authors: Frank Zammetti
• Published: November 13, 2018
• Buy it: $22.99 at Apress

9. React: Cross-Platform Application Development with React Native: Build 4 real-world apps with React Native

This is React Native book which focuses on building fun projects such as car booking app, image sharing app, and messaging app. When building them, you will learn React Native with more advanced concepts like using native mobile features, connecting with external APIs, and using state management libraries such as Redux or Mobx. At the end, you will build a game, which shows how to optimize the project and how to use good practices.

• Title: React: Cross-Platform Application Development with React Native: Build 4 real-world apps with React Native

• Authors: Emilio Rodriguez Martinez
• Published: March 13, 2018
• Buy it: $34.99 at Amazon

Have We Missed Any?

Know of any other great React Native books that have slipped under our radar? Let us know in the comments below. Happy reading!