Grade 3-5 Math-inspired stories for elementary readers.
2019 Winner
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by
A lightning strike gave her a super power...but even a super genius can't solve the problem of middle school. This smart and funny novel is perfect for fans of The Fourteenth Goldfish, Rain Reign, and Counting by Sevens. Lucy Callahan's life was changed forever when she was struck by lightning. She doesn't remember it, but the zap gave her genius-level math skills, and she's been homeschooled ever since. Now, at 12 years old, she's technically ready for college. She just has to pass 1 more test--middle school! Lucy's grandma insists: Go to middle school for 1 year. Make 1 friend. Join 1 activity. And read 1 book (that's not a math textbook!). Lucy's not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in 7th grade. She has everything she needs at home, where nobody can make fun of her rigid routines or her superpowered brain. The equation of Lucy's life has already been solved. Unless there's been a miscalculation? A celebration of friendship, Stacy McAnulty's smart and thoughtful middle-grade debut reminds us all to get out of our comfort zones and embrace what makes us different. "Fresh story, great characters, a winner!" --Barbara O'Connor, author of Wish
2018 Winner
A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book * Winner of the Mathical Book Prize Perfect for curious children, classrooms eager for STEM content, and readers who have devoured Ada Twist, Scientist and How Much Is a Million? Did you know that the earth is covered in three trillion trees? And that seven billion people weigh about the same as ten quadrillion ants? Our world is full of constantly changing numbers, from a hundred billion trillion stars in space to thirty-seven billion rabbits on Earth. Can you imagine that many of anything? The playful illustrations from New York Times-bestselling artist Isabel Greenberg and the friendly, straightforward voice of author Seth Fishman illuminate some of the biggest numbers in the universe--a hundred billion trillion stars--and the smallest--one unique and special YOU. Here is a book for story time, for science time, for math time, for bedtime, and all the times in between. "This picture book is one in a gazillion."--Jane O'Connor, the New York Times-bestselling author of the Fancy Nancy series
2017 Winner
Which One Doesn't Belong? by
Which One Doesn't Belong? has won the Mathical Book Prize , which will be presented to Christopher Danielson at the National Math Festival in Washington, DC on April 22, 2017. The Mathical Book Prize is an annual award for fiction and nonfiction books that inspire children of all ages to see math in the world around them. Every colorful page of Christopher Danielson's children's picture book, Which One Doesn't Belong?, contains a thoughtfully designed set of four shapes. Each of the shapes can be a correct answer to the question Which one doesn't belong?- Because all their answers are right answers, students naturally shift their focus to justifications and arguments based on the shapes' geometric properties. In the companion teacher's guide,(978-1-62531-081-1) Danielson shows how to facilitate rich discussions and teach mathematical argumentation using Which One Doesn't Belong? He models how to listen closely and respectfully to students' ideas about shapes. Danielson synthesizes research about how children learn geometry, discusses the role of geometry in the mathematics curriculum, and gives plenty of practical advice about different ways to implement Which One Doesn't Belong? in classrooms. He also discusses the mathematical ideas likely to emerge on each page and-;drawing from his direct experience using Which One Doesn't Belong? at several different grade levels-;helps teachers anticipate and think about students' likely answers. Most curricula treat geometry as little more than vocabulary lessons. Which One Doesn't Belong? and its accompanying guide are powerful, flexible resources teachers can use to provoke lively discussions and deep learning about shapes with students of all ages.
2016 Winner
Secret Coders by
Gene Luen Yang is the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and is a MacArthur Fellow, a recipient of what's popularly known as the MacArthur "Genius" Grant. Welcome to Stately Academy, a school which is just crawling with mysteries to be solved! The founder of the school left many clues and puzzles to challenge his enterprising students. Using their wits and their growing prowess with coding, Hopper and her friend Eni are going to solve the mystery of Stately Academy no matter what it takes! From graphic novel superstar (and high school computer programming teacher) Gene Luen Yang comes a wildly entertaining new series that combines logic puzzles and basic programming instruction with a page-turning mystery plot! This title has Common Core connections.
2015 Winner
Really Big Numbers by
In the American Mathematical Society's first-ever book for kids (and kids at heart), mathematician and author Richard Evan Schwartz leads math lovers of all ages on an innovative and strikingly illustrated journey through the infinite number system. By means of engaging, imaginative visuals and endearing narration, Schwartz manages the monumental task of presenting the complex concept of Big Numbers in fresh and relatable ways. The book begins with small, easily observable numbers before building up to truly gigantic ones, like a nonillion, a tredecillion, a googol, and even ones too huge for names! Any person, regardless of age, can benefit from reading this book. Readers will find themselves returning to its pages for a very long time, perpetually learning from and growing with the narrative as their knowledge deepens. Really Big Numbers is a wonderful enrichment for any math education program and is enthusiastically recommended to every teacher, parent and grandparent, student, child, or other individual interested in exploring the vast universe of numbers.
Eat Your Math Homework by
This collection of yummy recipes and fun math facts is sure to tempt taste buds and make you hungry for more. Explore patterns in nature while you chomp on Fibonacci Stack Sticks. Amaze your friends with delicious Variable Pizza Pi Wash down your geometry assignment with some Milk and Tangram Cookies. Topics covered include probability, Fibonacci numbers, tessellations, variability, and more.
By the Numbers 3. 14 by
Discover the amazing world of numbers and the real-world wonders they represent through creative, easy-to-understand infographics! 318,979,564,000- That's the number of ways you can play the first four moves in a chess game. 500- That's the average number of beats per minute of a hummingbird's heart. Colorful illustrated graphs, word clouds, pie charts, maps, photography, comparative images, and more illuminate the math behind statistics, trends, and measurements we encounter every day. Infographics cover popular subjects from science and technology to nature and wildlife, as well as everyday activities like sports and TV. Find fascinating Q&As with math experts such as computer programmers, data artists, and more to show the many ways that math is cool!
No Honor Books were named in 2017 for Grade 3 to 5.
Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by
Fans of Katherine Applegate and Erin Entrada Kelly will love this quirky story of a determined girl, and some extraordinary chickens. Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown feels like a fish out of water when she and her parents move from Los Angeles to the farm they've inherited from a great-uncle. But farm life gets more interesting when a cranky chicken appears and Sophie discovers the hen can move objects with the power of her little chicken brain- jam jars, the latch to her henhouse, the entirehenhouse.... And then more of her great-uncle's unusual chickens come home to roost. Determined, resourceful Sophie learns to care for her flock, earning money for chicken feed, collecting eggs. But when a respected local farmer tries to steal them, Sophie must find a way to keep them (and their superpowers) safe. Told in letters to Sophie's abuela,quizzes, a chicken-care correspondence course, to-do lists, and more, Unusual Chickensis a quirky, clucky classic in the making.
Just the Right Size by
"Nicola Davies is the best thing to happen to biology classes since the invention of the filmstrip." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review) Did you ever wonder why there are no high-flying superheroes in real life? Find out what keeps big animals (like us) from performing amazing feats of strength and agility, yet why being tiny and powerful might have a downside. What if you could lift fifty times your weight (hello, ant), but getting wet could kill you? Or you could soar like a bird, but a cold breeze would do you in? From an award-winning duo, an intriguing look at what it means to be just the right size. Back matter includes an index and a glossary.
Blockhead by
As a young boy in medieval Italy, Leonardo Fibonacci thought about numbers day and night. He was such a daydreamer that people called him a blockhead. When Leonardo grew up and traveled the world, he was inspired by the numbers used in different countries. Then he realized that many things in nature, from the number of petals on a flower to the spiral of a nautilus shell, seem to follow a certain pattern. The boy who was once teased for being a blockhead had discovered what came to be known as the Fibonacci Sequence! Blockhead is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Bedtime Math: This Time It's Personal by
"We want kids to feel about math the way they feel about dessert after dinner." --Laura Overdeck,Time magazineOur mission: to make math a fun part of kids' everyday lives. In,Bedtime Math: This Time It's Personal, families will find fun, mischief-making math problems that kids can't wait to figure out. With over 100 math riddles on topics from pillow forts and and sneeze speeds to overfed pets and underwear, kids will find math isn't just fun, it can be found in their everyday lives. And with three different levels of challenge (Wee ones, Little kids, and Big kids), plus a brand-new Bonus question, there's something for everyone. Just as we all love stories before bedtime, families will find math is equally as fun and engaging. Many generations--kids and parents included--have been intimidated by math, but Bedtime Math is here to change all. We can make numbers fun, and change the world, one Bedtime Math puzzle at a time.
This is Book 2 and we also have Books 1 and 3 at same Call #.
Edgar Allan Poe's Pie by
Is this poetry? Math? A brainteaser? Yes! It's all that and more. The poet J. Patrick Lewis has reimagined classic poems--such as Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" and Langston Hughes's "April Rain Song"--and added a dash of math. Between the silly parodies and the wonderfully wacky art, kids will have so much fun figuring out the puzzles, they won't guess they're learning! Answers appear unobtrusively on each page, and engaging information about the original poets is included. Math games and concepts, poetry and poet biographies--it's all so cleverly put together. This funny book is a treat for fans of words and numbers alike.
Numbed! by
When Logan's class takes a trip to a math museum, his mischievous friend Benedict is sure it will be a boring day--until he discovers a robot and its creator in an off-limits area. The robot proves feisty, and soon both boys get zapped. They realize only later that they'd left the museum without their math skills. To get back the knowledge they need for school--not to mention buying food at the mall, divvying up dinner at home, and much more--they'll have to get back to the museum and pass a series of math challenges. Being "numbed" teaches Logan and Benedict just how useful, and even fun, math can be.
The Rookie Bookie by
Using the tips, truths, and stats they explore in their New York Times bestseller Scorecasting, two dads pack super sports savvy and important math and financial concepts into a fun and heartwarming first novel for kids. New kid Mitch Sloan wants to fit in, but his nerdy love of statistics and making money isn't winning him any friends in his sports-loving town--until he finds the perfect way to attain instant popularity. But running a football betting ring at school eventually turns sour, and Mitch loses the only real friend he's made. He'll have to win her back by using his brainpower for good and helping the school football team achieve victory--if they'll listen to the advice of a former bookie!
Animals by the Numbers: A Book of Animal Infographics by
How many species are there across the globe? How much do all of the insects in the world collectively weigh? How far can animals travel? Steve Jenkins answers these questions and many more with numbers, images, innovation, and authoritative science in his latest work of illustrated nonfiction. Jenkins layers his signature cut-paper illustrations alongside computer graphics and a text that is teeming with fresh, unexpected, and accurate zoological information ready for readers to easily devour. The level of scientific research paired with Jenkins' creativity and accessible infographics is unmatched and sure to wow fans old and new.
Hidden Women: The African-American Mathematicians of NASA Who Helped America Win the Space Race by
Tells the gripping story of four female African-American mathematicians who literally made it possible to launch US rockets--and astronauts--into space. Tells the thrilling tale of how each woman contributed, the struggles and resistance each experienced, and the amazing results. Consultants currently work for NASA.