Kids' Corner

Have Some Fun With Math!

Whether you love math, or would just as soon not think about it, there are some very entertaining children’s books that can help you learn some arithmetic without even realizing it!  Sharpen your number skills by checking out some of these titles:

Bones and the Math Test Mystery  by David Adler
Jeffrey Bones doesn’t like math tests . . . especially when he forgets to study for them.  When he loses his test, he has to follow the clues to try and find it.  For ages 4 – 8 (beginning reader)

A Very Improbable Story:  a Math Adventure  by Edward Einhorn
Ethan wakes up one morning with a talking cat on his head!  The cat won’t leave until Ethan wins a game of probability. 
For grades 2 – 6

The Number Devil: a Mathematical Adventure by H. Enzensberger
In 12 dreams, Robert, a boy who hates math, learns about the
wonderful world of numbers.    For grades 4 – 6

Mathematickles!  By Betsy Franco
Lively illustrations accompany these poems that use math equations.  For example, “feet – shoes + grass = barefoot.
For grades 2 – 5

365 Penguins    by Jean-Luc Fromental
This very funny picture book recounts how a family deals with a house full of penguins (one for each day of the year) – using addition, multiplication, and division.  For K – grade 4

The Wishing Club: a Story About Fractions  by Donna Napoli
When their wishes only come partially true, 4 children use fractions to get their whole wishes.  (Older readers might enjoy Edward Eager’s Half Magic, which is about the same idea.)
For K – grade 3

The Math Curse  by Jon Scieszka
Zany humor fills this story of a girl who spends the day seeing everything as a math problem.  For grades 2 – 6

Math Potatoes: Mind Stretching Brain Food  by Greg Tan
Delicious riddles, rhymes, and puzzles make learning arithmetic fun.  For grades 2 – 6

And don’t forget to mark your calendars:  registration for HPL’s Summer Reading Program begins on Monday,  June 23.  Starting that day you can pick up your summer reading packet at the library.  The packets include a pencil, bookmark, lists of good books, and coupons for free things from local businesses.  The more minutes you read, the greater the probability that you’ll be one of the 200 prize winners at our Summer Celebration August 8.

Happy Reading!
Ellen Xydias, Children’s Librarian
June 2008