Featured Math Books

The Math Gene: How Mathematical Thinking Evolved and Why Numbers Are Like Gossip

by Keith Devlin
Mathematician Keith Devlin has produced a book that attempts to explain to both those who love math and those who hate it, what mathematics is really about. He begins with number and simple counting, citing research that shows that chimps can be taught to count and add and that babies as young as 16 weeks know that 1 + 1 = 2. He quickly moves to what mathematics is really about - the ability to recognize patterns, to generalize rules, and to develop abstract ideas. Most encouraging for teachers and parents is his belief that any human being can learn mathematics, but that like running a marathon, it requires practice, training and perseverance. The beauty and originality of math should capture the imaginations of students so they put in the required effort. While Devlin's evolutionary theory is not quite as convincing or complete, he provides so much useful information (why do students have so much trouble memorizing the multiplication facts) that is it worth the time it will take to read the book. Reading it with a friend or colleague is highly recommended. 

Tiger Math - Learning to Graph From a Baby Tiger by Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel
Informative text in this true story of a Siberian tiger cub born at the Denver Zoo is accompanied by wonderful photos and a variety of graphs. Data, such as the weight gain of this baby tiger, is displayed on more than one type of graph, giving students several examples of the many different ways of representing data.
 

Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins
The similarities and differences in a family of five unique creatures (three humans and two cats) are explored in a lighthearted way. This book, which started when the author made a Venn diagram of her own family, lends itself to helping students make real-life connections with mathematical concepts. A natural "next step" after sharing the book with children would be to create either a classroom book or a book about their own families.
 

The Grapes of Math by Greg Tang
This innovative and delightful book challenges children - and parents - to open their minds and solve problems in new and unexpected ways. The author uses patterns, symmetry, and familiar number combinations to encourage efficient ways of counting in this collection of math riddles.  A creative and fun twist on problem solving!
 

The King's Chessboard by David Birch
When the wise man refuses to accept a reward for his service to the king, the king insists and so the wise man asks for a payment of rice for each square of the king's chessboard--the amount to be doubled each day. Soon the royal granaries are almost empty--will the proud king concede that he has been outwitted?
 

Bats on Parade by Kathi Appelt
On a midsummer's night the Marching Bat Band makes a rare appearance, its members grouped in formations that demonstrate multiplication from one times one up to ten times ten. The witty language and delightful illustrations make this a fun book to read with children of all ages exploring the concept of multiples.
 

How Big is a Foot? by Rolf Myller
This is an amusing and clever story about a King who wants to give his Queen a very special birthday gift.  His gift presents a dilemma that engages children in thinking about the concept of standard measurement.
 

If You Hopped Like a Frog
by David M. Schwartz
This picture book, written for 4 to 8 year olds, would be an excellent resource for teaching ratio and proportion in fourth and fifth grade. The whimsical drawings show that if we ate like a shrew we would eat over 700 hamburgers and if we had the strength of an ant, we could lift a car over our heads. At the end of the book, the author shows how proportions were used to compute these capabilities. As with all his books, Shwartz seems to capture the intriguing and humorous aspects of math and make then come to life for students.
 

  
Everything You Need to Know About Math Homework
By Anne Zeman, Kate Kelly (Contributor)
When a student comes home and asks a parent who invented numbers or what is a prime number or how many liters would fill a bathtub, this book will provide the answers which some of us may have forgotten. Pictures and words help explain all the basic mathematics a 4th through 6th grade student may need. Written in collaboration with the United Federation of Teachers "Dial A Teacher" staff, this book includes chapters on numbers, math operations, including fractions, rounding and estimation, measurement, geometry, including terms such as congruence and symmetry, money systems, graphs and calculator use. The explanations will relieve the anxiety of any parent ad stimulate the curiosity of any child.

A Remainder of One by Elinor J. Pinczes
Reading level: Ages 4-8
From Booklist , March 1, 1995 - Ages 4-7. From the author and illustrator of One Hundred Hungry Ants (1993), here's another picture book rooted in mathematics--the rhyming tale of a bug named Joe. When the 25th Army Corps of beetles proudly marches past their queen in two rows, her majesty insists that Private Joe, marching alone at the back, drop out to make the rows come out even. The next day the squadron in three rows, and the next, in four, but each day Joe is distressed to be marching alone, a remainder of one. All ends well when the bugs go marching five by five: "`Good show!' said her grace. `Your rows are divine. / We see no remainder to ruin your line.'" Using bold lines reminiscent of those in linocut prints, the colorful artwork uses visual rhythm as effectively as the verse uses meter and rhyme to punctuate the marching tempo of the text. Young children who get to know Joe's ragged regiment will understand the concept of remainders before anyone mentions long division in the classroom. With its sympathetic main character, bouncing verses, and expressive, comical illustrations, this makes an entertaining choice to read aloud. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright© 1995, American Library Association. All rights reserved

Actually this book can be used with students from first to fifth grade. Students can investigate lining up different numbers of ants. What are the remainders. What is the next number that will have a remainder of 1 when divided by 2,3,4? In the next ant hill, there was a remainder of 1, when they lined up by 2’s,3’s,4’s, and 6's, but a remainder of 4 when they lined up by 5's. Is there no number they can line up in so that "the coolest bug-soilder beneath the hot sun, Smart Joe" can line up and no longer be a remainder of one? By 7 by heaven that will do the trick. A great book for fifth and sixth grade students as well as younger readers.  

Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
A very popular book, already familiar to many teachers and students, this delightful romp by the hilarious Scieska (Time Warp Series among others) will delight students from grades 3 to 6 or 7. Imagine waking , remembering your teacher’s (Mrs. Fibonacci!) words that "everything can be made into a math problem". What time to wake up? How to split 24 cupcakes between 25 people? The problems and solutions will delight even the biggest "math hater."

 

How Tall, How Short, How Far Away by David A. Adler
Using engaging graphics and language that is clear and easy to follow, this book provides children with an introduction to concepts of measurement. The author explains how systems of measuring developed in ancient Egypt and Rome; how measurements became standardized; the origin of the metric system; and methods of measuring length, height, and distance, including both metric and U.S. customary measurements.

Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris
ABBC, “wiggle-jiggle-jiggle-float”, pink-green-green-red - and so it goes!Each two-page spread presents a new pattern that is echoed in words, colors in the border, and geometric details adorning every aspect of the illustration. It is especially nice that children both see the visual pattern as well as hear the pattern reinforced in the language. This a charming book to share with students through fifth grade and one that is ripe with opportunity for learning. For a blackline master to use to create your own class book, click here.

One Riddle, One Answer by Lauren Thompson
“Long ago, there lived a princess named Aziza who loved numbers as much as she loved riddles.” When it came time for her to marry, Aziza posed a riddle that had “but one true answer”; whoever could answer the riddle would win her hand in marriage. Read the first part of the book with students early in the week and pose the riddle as a “problem of the week”. Have students work on the problem, making sure to include their reasoning along with the answer to the riddle. Toward the end of the week, read through and discuss several of the solutions before finishing the book with your class. While the story can be enjoyed by grades two and higher, the math concepts are most appropriate for grades 4-6.