Melva Lea Stewart
When classmate and frequent tormentor Bobby Blair makes fun of Mathilda’s incorrect answer to their teachers question of how many quarter cups are in a cup, Mathilda despises her nickname even more. Why did her dad give her such an awful nickname? Poor Mathilda has unfortunately been called Math since she was a baby. Unfortunate, because mathematics is Math’s worst subject in and out of school. Math shares her feelings about Bobby Blairs teasing with her BFF Maddox, who is a math whiz. The girls are together so often, most people refer to them as one unit, Math’nMaddox. Maddox has a knack for helping Math understand puzzling math concepts by breaking them down using everyday language and relating them to real-world experiences.This interactive book for elementary aged readers tells how Maddox, with the help of soccer practice, lunch items, and a school magic show, assists Math with grasping the fractional concept of a quarter. When all is said and done, Math feels so confident in her ability to determine a quarter of a whole or a set, she feels like a true mathematician. Or as Maddox jokes, a mathemagician.An added bonus parent/teacher page provides learning activity ideas to both encourage and enhance student learning.
