Edgar Allan Poe's Pie

I had to put Edgar Allan Poe's Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poemswhen it appeared on the new book list at our library. The idea of combining poetry and math was such a great idea that I had to see if the promise met the reality. I can say I was pleased with the outcome.

The author has converted 14 poems into math rhymes. The poets include Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Lear, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, Hilaire Belloc, Robert Frost, Eleanor Farjeon, A.A. Milne, William Carlos, Langston Hughes, Ogden Nash, John Ciardi, and Shel Silverstein. The math is embedded into the poems creatively. Problems include whole number functions, fractions, measurement, money, decimals, perimeter, percentages and order of operations. I'm sure I've left out something, but the problems cover a range of topics. The answers are all provided at the bottom of the page. Just to be clear the poems have all been rewritten. You will find the frame of the Raven, but not the Raven. That is why I suggest doing both together.

This would be a great way to combine poetry and math studies. Groups could be given a copy of the original poem and the math poem to compare, then come back and share with the group what they learned about the poem assigned. I was surprised at how well the author worked around the original structure of the poem to recreate new poems to meet the math challenge. Sometimes author's mean well in trying to use literature to engage kids in math, but it comes off forced. I was impressed at the creativity of these poems and the math embedded in them.

That being said, I do think it would be wise to make sure the students are exposed to the original material. It actually adds to the enjoyment of the joke if you realize it is a spoof of the original.

Math Inspectors: The Case of the Claymore Diamond

I am always on the look out for good stories that can also encourage kids to engage with math. When done well it can help kids to see the relevance of math and stop those annoying when will I ever need this questions.

The Math Inspectors: Story One - The Case of the Claymore Diamond (Volume 1) is a cute mystery in the style of Encyclopedia Brown, though the author clearly was shooting for Scooby Doo. There is only one story, unlike the short stories found in Encyclopedia Brown, however, the goal is to use brain power to solve crimes that challenge the police. While Encyclopedia Brown focuses on observation and logic, the Math Inspectors use math concepts and clearly demonstrate how the answers were arrived at each time. This is a plot trick commonly used in math fiction, however, I give the authors credit, it was more natural in this book than in others I've reviewed. It didn't have that feel of we've reached the middle of page 4 it's time to insert a math problem to reach our quota.

The reference to Scooby Doo in the book pretty much gives away the thief early on, but the author keeps the twists interesting enough that I think it would encourage a reader to finish it to the end to discover how the robbery happened.

I have just a couple of criticisms. First, I recognize there is a push to address bullying in children's literature. At the beginning of the novel, we clearly see the math kids are being bullied. However, instead of demonstrating healthy coping skills, they in turn become bullies themselves, sanctioned by the authors because they are the smart kids. I wasn't comfortable with that.

My second complaint is how the kids work with the police. Encyclopedia Brown often solved the crimes before the cops, but he never struck me as rude and arrogant towards the adults in the book. These kids humiliate the bumbling police chief on several occasions and then as a reward for solving the case get him to participate in bullying the kids who bullied them. I just didn't like that.

My last complaint is a minor one. I appreciated that the conversation between the kids was clean and for the most part demonstrated positive language patterns. However, I think the conversations between the kids represented more of how we as adults think kids communicate with each other rather than how they do communicate with each other. It was just a little awkward at times.

All and all this is one of the most promising math series I've come across in a while. I'm looking forward to reading The Math Inspectors: Story Two - The Case of the Mysterious Mr. Jekyll (Volume 2) to see if the series improves on this beginning book.

65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math!

I was a fan of Two-Minute Mysteries series collecting various time versions as both a student and a teacher. I liked the format of presenting a mystery and giving the reader a chance to figure it out before presenting the solution.

When I saw One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math! I was hoping to find the same format, but with stories that focused on mysteries with a math solution.

I would have to say it is a stretch to call these stories mysteries. These are stories designed to be more engaging than the word problems most students encounter in their math books. The stories provide real world problems students might encounter and demonstrate how the children in the stories use math to solve the problems. There is nothing wrong with that format. However, it is misleading to call these stories mysteries. It would be more honest to market this as a book that demonstrates children solving problems with math in real world situations.

I would have preferred more reader interaction. In the original minute mystery genre, the writers expect the readers to try to solve the problem before giving them the answer. In these stories, the reader is not expected to engage in the story. The characters solve the mystery without expecting the child to think about possible solutions. The answers are all provided as part of the story.

The book does provide children with real life practical examples of math in action. It also could be a good resource for children who struggle with word problems. The problems in this book are more engaging than those found in your average text. Having models of other children approaching these problems in a logical manner might provide children with some insight on how to approach problems presented in his/her own environment. It definitely provides students with models of how to approach word problems they will find in textbooks.
I would love to see a series that does combine mystery with math and science. I think there is a market for it.

The Science book has already arrived at the library for me to review so I plan to look at it. Since this is actually the second book in the series, I expect they are probably very similar.

Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens

Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens: A Math Adventure
is another book in Cindy Neuschwander's Sir Cumference Math Series.

In this book, Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter are preparing for a visit from King Arthur. Lady Di is struggling to get a head count to determine the amount of food that needs to be prepared and to adequately provide housing and comfort for her guests. They struggle with a method of counting until of course they decide to divide and group people using ten's.

The author weaves a creative tale with a practical answer to the question when will we ever need to use this math.