Sir Cumference and the First Round Table

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9........

It's a Month of Math!

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (A Math Adventure), by Cindy Neuschwander and illustrated by Wayne Geehar, is such a creative way for children to learn about math.  Sir Cumference, his wife, Lady Di (from the town of Ameter), and his son Radius are the main characters who eventually come up with the idea of the first round table for King Arthur.  Through a series of rectangular, square, diamond, and octagon tables, a round table evolves.  The distance across the table is, of course, equal to Lady Di of Ameter’s reach, and half of that distance is equal to the reach of Radius. 

Children who love language and word play will enjoy reading about Sir Cumference.  Children who learn visually should find it easier to understand radius, diameter, and circumference after viewing the illustrations in this book.  We’ll be looking at more Sir Cumference books soon!

Question Collection:

*What is your favorite name in the book?

*What is your favorite illustration?

*Can you explain radius, diameter, and circumference in your own words now?

Look Both Ways---City Math

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9........

It's a Month of Math!

We're excited to be looking at math books and ideas this month.  Some of the books we'll be reviewing are fiction and some are nonfiction. Look Both Ways (City Math), a Time Life Series book, is a fun book we found at a used bookstore.  Fortunately, even though it’s an older book, it can still be ordered. There are math mysteries, eye spy fun, computation, measurement, and lots more math to be discovered. Even the inside front and back covers have math games that can be played.  Children can readily find that math is everywhere, hopefully leading to an enjoyment of finding math fun. Elementary aged children (and parents) will find many activities in the 63 pages to return to time and again.  We hope you enjoy the math fun in this book!

Question Collection:

*Which activity is your favorite?

*Which math mystery was the easiest for you?

*Can you think of other math patterns in nature?

Aunt Eater Loves a Mystery

Aunt Eater Loves a Mystery, by Doug Cushman, is a fun I Can Read Book, 2.  For fans of Aunt Eater, this is a great way to begin reading chapter books.  The book is divided into four easy to read chapters.  Each chapter introduces a new mystery that children will have fun solving.  If your child is a beginning reader, this book can provide  good practice with using context and graphic clues to develop reading comprehension.  Aunt Eater Loves a Mystery is a great stepping stone for young readers to make the transition from picture books to chapter books.  Have fun solving Aunt Eater’s mysteries!

Question Collection:

*What did you think the shadow was?

*How could Aunt Eater prevent a bag mix-up next time?

*Why do you think Aunt Eater loves mysteries?

The ABC Mystery

Do your children like to read mysteries?  The ABC Mystery, by Doug Cushman, is an easy to read alphabet book that uses each letter of the alphabet to take the reader through the steps of solving the mystery of a missing art piece.  The rhyming cadence and clue-filled illustrations add to the enjoyment of this book.  This book would make a good mentor text in writing classrooms to show sequential writing.  We think this is a fun book to share with others!

Question Collection:

*Did you know who stole the artwork?

*What clues helped you solve the mystery?

*Can you name some rhyming words used in the story?

*Do you think you could write a mystery like this?

Read more children's ABC books!