Quick – what is 8 times 9? If your mind went blank, you are not alone. Memorizing multiplication facts by repetition can be mind-boggling. But Greg Tang, teacher, bestselling author, and “lifelong lover of math”, has written a series of books designed to revolutionize the way kids learn math.
The title of this math book comes from the opening lines of the literary classic A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."). Tang teaches math concepts through cleverly written rhymes. He offers children a way to understand what is being asked so that they can find the answer using problem solving techniques that are both effective and fun.
For example, the riddle entitled “Crazy Eight” shows the reader that doubling smaller numbers helps find the answer to larger numbers. Each riddle includes an additional Challenge to encourage kids to use the concepts to solve harder problems. Bright, colorful illustrations by Harry Briggs help the reader visualize each problem. Pictures are also included with the solutions provided in the back of the book to help students further understand the concepts.
The entire Scholastic math series includes:
The Grapes of Math
The Best of Times: Math Strategies That Multiply
Math for All Seasons
MATH-terpieces
Math Potatoes: Mind-Stretching Brain Food
Math Appeal: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles
Math Fables
Math Fables Too.
These books would be valuable education tools for parents and teachers to help students overcome their fears of math and become successful problem solvers.
Learning math is no “problem” with these fun books about numbers: Riddle-Iculous Math, Go Figure! A Totally Cool Book About Numbers, and Arithe-Tickle (see links below).