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Use the search filters below to return results. Keep an eye out for some of my top favorites-- my "BookSmart Picks"-- that are sure to entertain and educate your kids! And, many activities use common materials you likely have at home already. Look for entries marked with the "Common Items" icon to find activities that shouldn't require any purchase.
This book brings to life the story of four African American female mathematicians working for NASA at the height of the Space Race between the United States and Russia—Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Christine Darden. All talented mathematicians, they had to work under conditions of racism and sexism, but still distinguished themselves through their work and significant contributions to the agency…
This book brings to life the story of four African American female mathematicians working for NASA at the height of the Space Race between the United States and Russia—Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Christine Darden. All talented mathematicians, they had to work under conditions of racism and sexism, but still distinguished themselves through their work and significant contributions to the agency. Even in this young readers’ edition, there are plenty of details and research, along with a helpful timeline and glossary.
At 12 years old, Claudia is the oldest child in her family and feels woefully unappreciated at home. She decides to leave, but does not want to simply run away, and instead decides to run to someplace, choosing the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as her temporary home. She brings along one of her brothers, Jamie, as an accomplice…
At 12 years old, Claudia is the oldest child in her family and feels woefully unappreciated at home. She decides to leave, but does not want to simply run away, and instead decides to run to someplace, choosing the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as her temporary home. She brings along one of her brothers, Jamie, as an accomplice and to help with money during the excursion. Once at the museum, they find themselves amidst a great art mystery surrounding a newly-acquired statue. Determined to find answers, Claudia and Jamie go on a quest to discover the source of the statue, and also learn a bit about themselves in the process. The math in this book involves not only puzzling through clues and making deductions, but also in budgeting money. Throughout the book, Claudia and Jamie must keep track of their money, determine what to spend money on, and even acquire more money (via their baths in the fountain!). Have your child keep track of their spending, as well as discuss inflation and how prices have changed from 1967 until now. What might their adventure cost now?
Taking place in New York City, a young boy searches for his lost dragon. On each page of pen-and-ink illustrations, the boy searches on, while also counting various objects, like buses, taxis, ships in the harbor, and hot dogs. Quite helpfully, the objects to be counted (numbers 1-20) are the only splashes of color on each page. With so many details on each page, there is always more to discover…
Taking place in New York City, a young boy searches for his lost dragon. On each page of pen-and-ink illustrations, the boy searches on, while also counting various objects, like buses, taxis, ships in the harbor, and hot dogs. Quite helpfully, the objects to be counted (numbers 1-20) are the only splashes of color on each page. And with so many details on each page, there is always more to discover with each reading. See if your child can find the author and illustrator himself in one of the pictures, or if they can find the escaped monkey later on in the book!
From a young age, Raye Montague had her sights on becoming an engineer. Through her unending persistence and determination, Raye faced down sexism and racism and finally gained recognition for her contributions, which changed the course of submarine design…
From a young age, Raye Montague had her sights on becoming an engineer. Through her unending persistence and determination, Raye faced down sexism and racism and finally gained recognition for her contributions, which changed the course of submarine design. The riveting story along with the rhyming scheme and illustrations will keep your child engaged. And in the back you can find a full biography, a timeline of events, some fun facts, and a note from Montague herself.
A polar bear thinks that he is the tallest around. But then different animals step in and show him how when they work together, they are just as tall as him. For instance, two walruses show him that together they are the same height, and then three foxes show the same…
A polar bear thinks that he is the tallest around. But then different animals step in and show him how when they work together, they are just as tall as him. For instance, two walruses show him that together they are the same height, and then three foxes show the same. The book uses charming illustrations to demonstrate adding on by one and relative size.
Katherine Johnson was an African-American mathematician who worked for NASA during the space race (you may know her from the movie or book Hidden Figures). This picture book follows Katherine from a young child who loved counting, to being a gifted student, to bringing her talents to NASA, and at every step repeating, “You can count on me.” She not only calculated the course of the moon landings…
Katherine Johnson was an African-American mathematician who worked for NASA during the space race (you may know her from the movie or book Hidden Figures). This picture book follows Katherine from a young child who loved counting, to being a gifted student, to bringing her talents to NASA, and at every step repeating, “You can count on me.” She not only calculated the course of the moon landings, but also saved lives making sure that Apollo 13 returned home safely. The book also does a wonderful job explaining in simple terms both how and why math was so helpful in sending a rocket into space.
Sophie Germain demonstrated not only a love of math, but fierce determination in her quest to study it, eventually becoming the first woman to win a grand prize from the Academy of Sciences. As a girl, her parents took away her candles to keep her from studying math, and since women were not allowed to attend universities, she secretly obtained notes from math classes and completed work under a male pen name… but no matter what, nothing stopped Sophie…
Sophie Germain demonstrated not only a love of math, but fierce determination in her quest to study it, eventually becoming the first woman to win a grand prize from the Academy of Sciences. As a girl, her parents took away her candles to keep her from studying math, and since women were not allowed to attend universities, she secretly obtained notes from math classes and completed work under a male pen name… but no matter what, nothing stopped Sophie. She worked tirelessly on a theorem to predict patterns of vibration, which later helped with the groundwork for modern architecture. The illustrations enhance Sophie’s powerful story even more, incorporating pen-and-ink, watercolor, and collage. A great book for encouraging perseverance and grit!
Hannah loves collecting things—barrettes, popsicle sticks, feathers, seashells, and more! She sorts them in different ways, whether by color, shape, or size. But now her teacher has given her an assignment, to bring in just one collection to show the class…
Hannah loves collecting things—barrettes, popsicle sticks, feathers, seashells, and more! She sorts them in different ways, whether by color, shape, or size. But now her teacher has given her an assignment, to bring in just one collection to show the class. Hannah struggles to pick just one favorite, but with some problem solving she finds the perfect solution. Using the beautiful collage art throughout, your child can use multiple math skills as they enjoy this book—observing, sorting, and counting.
The Puddle Pail stars two crocodile brothers, Sol and younger brother Ernst. Sol loves collecting things, whether it’s rocks, feathers, or rubber bands, and he encourages Ernst to also start a collection of things that he finds interesting. However, Ernst struggles to find interesting items that he can actually collect; what he finds most interesting are the clouds or stars. But, undeterred by his older brother’s confusion, Ernst shows creativity and perseverance…
The Puddle Pail stars two crocodile brothers, Sol and younger brother Ernst. Sol loves collecting things, whether it’s rocks, feathers, or rubber bands, and he encourages Ernst to also start a collection of things that he finds interesting. However, Ernst struggles to find interesting items that he can actually collect; what he finds most interesting are the clouds or stars. But, undeterred by his older brother’s confusion, Ernst shows creativity and perseverance to collect what he enjoys the most—puddles and the items reflected in them. Ernst decides to gather the different kinds of puddles he finds, based on what they reflect, into his pail and later uses the water for his watercolor paintings of everything he saw. This is a wonderfully told story that demonstrates how siblings can bring different strengths and creative vision to the table, while also using problem solving skills.
This Dr. Seuss book meant for early readers asks a series of “Would you rather…” questions, prompting children to think about the differences and do some comparing while also using their imaginations, all skills that will help them in their understanding of sorting and classification. Would your child rather be a dog or a cat? A hammer or a nail? A whale or a minnow? Dr. Seuss uses simple words and rhymes…
This Dr. Seuss book meant for early readers asks a series of “Would you rather…” questions, prompting children to think about the differences and do some comparing while also using their imaginations, all skills that will help them in their understanding of sorting and classification. Would your child rather be a dog or a cat? A hammer or a nail? A whale or a minnow? Dr. Seuss uses simple words and rhymes, complemented by colorful illustrations, making it a great book to keep coming back to, perhaps coming up with different answers or different reasoning for the many choices provided.
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