Sir Cumference and the Off-The-Charts Dessert
ISBN 9781570911996
Regular price $9.99by Cindy Neuschwander; illustrated by Wayne Geehan
Join Sir Cumference and the gang for more wordplay, puns, and problem solving in the clever math adventure that introduces readers to charts and graphs through an annual bake-off.
In the eighth installment of this popular math adventure series, Sir Cumference and Lady Di need a baker to prepare a special dessert for the annual Harvest Faire. Two bakers compete to see whose dessert is most popular. When Pia of Chartres and Bart Graf have trouble keeping track of the votes their desserts receive, they each develop a better system. Pia places a colored candy around the edges of a pie dough (like a pie chart), and Bart stacks up cookie tins (making a 3D bar graph). Puns--both literal and visual--abound in this fun adventure story that introduces different methods of collecting data.
Perfect for parent and teachers who are looking to make math fun and accessible for everyone.
Recommended for children ages 8-12 years.
Softcover, 32 pages.
Charlesbridge. Printed in China.
Reviews:
A fun little math adventure that introduces the basics of fractions to early elementary audiences.
— School Library Journal
"This humorous story offers one explanation for the origin of pie charts and bar graphs while serving up some possible mathematical or culinary career choices for youngsters. Two talented bakers compete for the honor of preparing the Harvest Sweet for an annual celebration. In order to determine the popular favorites as the townspeople taste their wares, both bakers keep tallies, one marked with lines in flour on a table and the other with pinches of dough. But their records are ruined by their cat and dog that respectively dash through the flour and gobble up the dough. Still, they need some way to record their patrons’ favorite choices and eventually come up with their own strategies that will be animal-proof. The male baker stacks cookie molds, one for each different type of cookie preferred by his customers, while the female baker arranges different colors of candies around a circular, pie shape to record the results. Thus, the results will be visual, and easy to understand. The story will hold readers' attention while the acrylic paint illustrations fit the story well. The relish with which the townsfolk and the animals savor the desserts is palpable. Math has never been so sweet." ~ Reading Today Online
"Sir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert is one of eight books in Neuschwander’s series of mathematical adventures. This time, the medieval-style characters are embroiled in a bake-off of statistical proportions to determine this year’s Harvest Treat for the upcoming Harvest Faire. Pia from Chartres offers the best pies in town, and Bart Graf makes an assortment of cookies, but how to determine a winner? Ultimately, the pie graph and bar graph that are constructed, showing favorites among the pies and cookies respectively, make the selection obvious. Geared for grades 4–6, most of Neuschwander’s previous books help introduce and reinforce geometry concepts. In this book, she does the same for data analysis. Filled with delicious puns, the text is engaging and accurate; Geehan’s detailed illustrations enhance the mathematical information presented and promote a sense of fun. Fourth graders will think they themselves are unlocking the secret to the puns of “Pia from Chartres” and “Lady Di of Ameter,” whereas older students will simply groan. In either case, the mathematical concepts will most likely be remembered." ~ Teaching Children Mathematics, NCTM
The Endless Steppe
ISBN 9780064405775
Regular price $12.99by Esther Hautzig
Jane Addams Book Award
Horn Book Fanfare
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book
ALA Notable Children’s Book
New York Times Outstanding Book
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Sydney Taylor Book Award
About the Book
This is the remarkable true story of a family during one of the bleakest periods in history, a story that "radiates optimism and the resilience of the human spirit" (Washington Post).
In June 1941, the Rudomin family is arrested by the Russians. They are accused of being capitalists, “enemies of the people.” Forced from their home and friends in Vilna, Poland, they are herded into crowded cattle cars. Their destination: the endless steppe of Siberia.
For five years, Esther and her family live in exile, weeding potato fields, working in the mines, and struggling to stay alive. But in the middle of hardship and oppression, the strength of their small family sustains them and gives them hope for the future.
The first winner of the Sydney Taylor Awards was Esther Hautzig's The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia, and 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of this powerful classic.
Recommended for ages 8-12 years.
Softcover, 256 pages.
Harper Collins.
Esther Hautzig was the author of many books for children and adults. The Endless Steppe is an autobiographical account of her childhood in Siberia. It was a National Book Award nominee and an ALA Notable Children’s Book. It also received the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.
Letters from Father Christmas
ISBN 9780008627577
Regular price $35.00 Sale price $26.50 Save 24%*** Please note reduced price due to minor slipcover damage in transit.
by J.R.R. Tolkien
A new edition of Tolkien’s famous illustrated Letters from Father Christmas to his children is presented in a stunning hardback format, complete with full colour illustrations.
This classic festive book of Tolkien’s amazing Father Christmas letters written to his children between the 1920s and the 1940s has been reworked into a new hardback edition to match other beloved Tolkien titles. It contains high-quality digital reproductions of his beautiful letters and pictures.
‘My dear children, I am more shaky than usual this year. The North Polar Bear’s fault. It was the biggest bang in the world, and the most monstrous firework there has ever been. It turned the North Pole black!’
Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien’s children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful coloured drawing or some sketches. The letters were from Father Christmas.
They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole:
• How all the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place
• How the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house into the dining-room
• How he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden
• How there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house!
Sometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humour to the stories. From the first note to Tolkien’s eldest son in 1920 to the final poignant letter to his daughter in 1943, this book collects all the remarkable letters and pictures in one enchanting edition. No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by the inventiveness of Tolkien’s Letters from Father Christmas.
Hardcover, 208 pages.
Published by Harper Collins.
Critical Praise
PRAISE FOR LETTERS FROM FATHER CHRISTMAS:
‘Will appeal to any kids whose appreciation of new worlds hasn’t been blighted by Action Man and enlightened schoolteachers.’ ~ TERRY PRATCHETT, Bath and West Evening Chronicle
‘Tolkien at his relaxed and ingenious best.’ ~ The Times
Dragonwings
ISBN 9780064400855
Regular price $12.50by Laurence Yep
Newbery Honor Book Dragonwings by Lawrence Yep takes readers on an adventure-filled journey across the world.
Inspired by the story of a Chinese immigrant who created a flying machine in 1909, Dragonwings touches on the struggles and dreams of Chinese immigrants navigating opportunity and prejudice in San Francisco.
Moon Shadow only knows two things about his father, Windrider: he lives in San Francisco and used to craft beautiful kites.
One day shortly after his eighth birthday, Cousin Hand Clap arrives with a letter from Windrider asking Moon Shadow to join him in San Francisco. When Moon Rider arrives in America he learns that his father makes a living doing laundry and dreams of building a flying machine just like the Wright Brothers. But making this fantastical dream a reality proves to be no easy task, as intolerance, poverty, and even an earthquake stand in their way.
Recomended for readers 10-14 years (Grades 5-9).
Softcover, 336 pages.
Harper Collins. Printed in the United States.
The publisher, Harper Collins, has a Teacher's Guide to accompany the book at their website here.
ALA Notable Children’s Book
New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Phoenix Award (Children’s Literature Association)
IRA/CBC Children's Choice
Library of Congress Children’s Books
Carter G. Woodson Book Award
New York Times Outstanding Book
Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book
Newbery Honor Book
Jane Addams Book Award Honor Book
School Library Journal Best Book
International Reading Association Children's Book Award
Horn Book Fanfare
Heartwood Hotel - Book #1: A True Home (bent corner of cover)
ISBN 9781443443944 seconds
Regular price $9.99 Sale price $5.99 Save 40%Written by Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
When Mona the Mouse stumbles across the wondrous world of the Heartwood Hotel in the middle of a storm, she desperately hopes they'll let her stay. As it turns out, Mona is precisely the maid they need at the grandest hotel in Fernwood Forest, where animals come from far and wide for safety, luxury, and comfort. But the Heartwood Hotel is not all acorn souffl and soft moss-lined beds. Danger lurks, and as it approaches, Mona finds that this hotel is more than a warm place to spend the night. It might also be a home.
This delightfully enticing start of a new chapter book series tells a tale of friendship, courage, and community, with exquisite black-and-white illustrations throughout.
Recommended for readers ages 7-10 years old.
Softcover.
Published in Canada by HarperCollins
Download the teacher's guide from the publisher here.
Reviews
Imagination Soup
Lost in a storm, with no home or destination, Mona the Mouse discovers a beautiful hotel for forest animals. There she works as a maid to earn her room and board. But more than that, she helps solve problems and learns about her family connection to the lovely hotel where she’s invited to stay as long as she wants. This is a sweet, warm-hearted adventure of resiliency and friendship.
Publisher's Weekly
Seeking shelter in a storm, a mouse named Mona stumbles on the Heartwood Hotel, a swanky getaway for woodland animals located within a tree, then gets hired as a maid. In this compassionate and comforting first book in the Heartwood Hotel series, George (the Magical Animal Adoption Agency series) introduces a supremely cozy setting in the hideaway hotel and a well-developed cast of staffers and guests. Mona’s innate kindness goes a long way at an establishment whose motto is “We live by ‘protect and respect,’ not by ‘tooth and claw.’”
Irene Roth's Canadian Book Reviews
This is a wonderful middle grade novel for kids. It is a super-cute story, one that will transport kids to realms of magic and what it means to have a true home.
Carla Loves Store
This is a delightful story for late primary readers who are ready for more difficult chapter books… Children will be amused by the delightful world within this Hotel, as well as the many life lessons that Mona learns and teaches others along the way. The various animals at the hotel are all varied and have different talents and interests. The owner, a badger named Mr. Heartwood, is kind and generous to a fault. The guests all have different needs that must be taken care of. It is a wonderful cast of characters. There is some adventure, problem solving as well as a little danger. This would make a nice read aloud in a primary class where there is a chapter read each day with some good discussions to follow. I really like the ideas about friendship, class structure as well as facing your fears and helping your friends. There is also lessons about loss, self-confidence and to some degree bullying. It is not in your face, but the ideas are all there. A good addition to a school or class library.
The Little Crooked Cottage
We love reading chapter books aloud on summer nights in our house. Kallie George’s heartwarming first book in the Heartwood Hotel series is a perfect chapter-a-night read. Young readers will enjoy being be transported to the tiny woodland world where Mona the Mouse discovers the Heartwood Hotel while seeking shelter from a rainstorm. Mona is quickly welcomed into the fold—where a cast of characters, soft moss-lined beds, and a little adventure (and danger!) awaits.
Mundie Kids
A cute woodland story about friendship, courage, overcoming challenges, and the true meaning of home.
Heartwood Hotel is an enjoyable read that takes readers into the heart of the woods, and introduces them to a variety of woodland animal (and a few insect characters too). With Graegin's illustrations (I love this cover), and George's storytelling, this story is one that will make you wish you could spend longer than the time it takes to read this book, with Mona and her woodland friends.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this story, is that it encompasses topics that young chapter book readers can understand. Like feeling lonely, feeling like you belong, finding new friends, doing your best despite feeling you're too small to do anything, friendship, jealously, helping others, and doing your best. Mona the mouse is a character who starts off feeling scared, lonely and a little insecure, and ends up finding she's brave, courageous, a good friend, and strong in knowing who she is.
Heartwood Hotel is a charming, enchanting woodland story. This is a great book to pick up for kids that are reading chapter books. It also makes for a great read aloud. We're looking forward to reading the next book in this adorable series.
Batch of Books
I can’t wait to tell you about the CUTEST new chapter book series! My two older girls and I all read the first two books in the Heartwood Hotel series by Kallie George and these books are ADORABLE.
These two books brought back so many happy memories of reading Old Mother West Wind, The Wind in the Willows, and writing my own stories. In all honesty, I fell hard in love with this series. These are happy, feel-good books that warm you from the inside out. The best part is that after she finished reading the books, I “borrowed” it from her and read them myself. We’ve been discussing the characters and how cute the stories are. Now, my nine-year-old says she needs to read them too.
Just One More Chapter
Heartwood Hotel, with the secret entrance hidden in a tree, a place of refuge for lost creatures of the wilderness, those that are easy prey for larger beasts of the woods. What an absolutely delightful little story, it reminded me of The Wind in the Willows and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh.
With lovely penciled drawings scattered throughout I suggest either a print copy or reading in a tablet (sorry but a kindle won't do it justice).
Michigan Mom Living
The Heartwood Hotel series is comprised of adorable, cute early chapter books geared for ages 7-10 with it’s easy reading and visual penciled pictures along the way. Youngsters can read and engage themselves in this series as they follow Mona through her family tragedy and the hunt to find another home and friends and acceptance. In this series, there are a lot of life lessons of acceptance that young readers will capture along the way.
The Heartwood Hotel’s motto is: “We Live by Protect and Respect, Not by Tooth and Claw”, which the author thinks applies beyond the great tree’s rooms and will resonate with young readers and I agree!
I can easily see my 7-year old son enjoying this series if he reads by himself or if it’s a book we read nightly together. Either way, it will keep his interest.
Once Upon a Twilight
Heartwood Hotel is a sweet story that teaches that breaking rules for good and kind gestures isn't bad. Sometimes we will need to break the rules and do what's right. Mona wasn't scared to break these rules because she knew these fellow animals needed her help. She was kind and compassionate. We also learn that facing our fears and being brave is hard but at times we must face reality and our fears. Also, that working as a team many things can get accomplished.
Mona with fierce determination saves all the animals. She was home and she didn't want anyone or anything to be ruined. With her kindness, even the bear was willing to help! It shows that kindness can go a long way. And home is where the heart is.
Canlit for Little Canadians
How do I convey to readers the infinite sweetness and gentility of A True Home? From the warm-hearted atmosphere and compassionate mission of the Heartwood Hotel and its staff to the plot of finding home, amidst common foibles and uncommon dangers, Kallie George's text is rich in friendship, courtesy, diversity and affection. That majestic tree's hotel is built upon a solid foundation of respect for all creatures and the natural world of interrelationships, though as in the human world some need to be avoided if one is to survive. But even the wolves, though frightening to many of the residents at the Heartwood Hotel, have an inane quality about them, squabbling about their achievements and the existence of the Heartwood Hotel. By doing this, Kallie George makes A True Home a suitable read-aloud for younger children who will easily be able to imagine the Hotel with its miscellaneous accommodations (including the root floors with hibernation suites, trunk floors, branch floors, twig floors and honeymoon and penthouse suites) and star-gazing balcony and ballroom. Graced with the black-and-white pencil drawings of American illustrator Stephanie Graegin, Heartwood Hotel's first book, A True Home, has surely found a place for itself in youngCanLit by captivating and gladdening our own hearts.
Books4yourkids
I love a good forest story. I was enchanted by the (slightly weird) world of Beatrix Potter as a child and spent many hours imagining life in Toad Hall, Ratty's waterside home and Badger's complex burrow deep in the Wild Wood. I even created the label Forest Story to keep track of books in this genre I reviewed. And, while there aren't a lot of books that come along in the precise vein of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, Kallie George's new series, Heartwood Hotel, with charming illustrations by Stephanie Graegin, is a marvelous forest story with the kind of caring, friendship and community that you find in Grahame's book. And, be sure to check out the equally charming and wonderful Heartwood Hotel website for these books where you can learn more about the hotel (the staff, the menu, the rooms) and print out creative activities that let readers design a room for the hotel, create a menu and craft a miniature suitcase!
CM Review
4/4 stars
A True Home and The Greatest Gift are the first two novels in the “Heartwood Hotel” chapter book series: sweet, funny tales about a hotel for small forest animals.
The setting and characters of Heartwood Hotel are adorable without being saccharine. A hotel made out of a hollow tree and sized for mice and badgers is brought to life with clever, humourous details. The animal characters each have their own quirky personality, from the kind-hearted badger Mr. Heartwood, who always speaks in rhyme (unless he is particularly upset), to the huffy June bug who turns out to be a travel reviewer for the Pinecone Press (so it’s a good thing Mona was nice to her).
The plot has fun episodic adventures but also a longer, more poignant arc about Mona learning where she comes from and what happened to her family. The development of Mona’s and Tilly’s friendship is the glue that holds all the pieces together, and it will resonate particularly with children who encounter the same hesitation, misunderstanding and awkwardness as they learn how to make and keep friends. This series should prove popular with kids who like anthropomorphized animal stories, stories about small people in miniature worlds, and humourous adventures starring unlikely but stalwart heroes. Adults reading these stories aloud will enjoy the sly pokes at certain societal conventions and the clever development of the hollow tree setting. Highly Recommended.
The Laughing Place Blogspot
The Heartwood Hotel series approaches emotions in a charming way, with previous books describing sad experiences as “hurts.” Aimed at readers in 2nd-5th grade, the series provides a great role model for dealing with strong feelings in thoughtful and rational ways. Despite being stories about animals, the series helps kids deal with their uniquely human feelings. Stephanie Graegin also returns to illustrate this third book, providing pencil drawings to help underscore key moments in the story and inspiring kids’ imaginations with this cuddly world. Her work has a quality that reminds me of E. H. Shepard’s drawings for A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh series. While the book is at a reading level perfect for elementary school kids, the illustrations also make it easily accessible for parents to read to younger kids. The chapters are short, allowing kids to digest them at a pace they’re comfortable with. I was already a fan of the Heartwood Hotel series and really enjoyed revisiting this world a third time in Heartwood Hotel: Better Together.
Bottomless Book Bag review
This is a delightful and charming series for our youngest elementary students. Advanced readers in Kindergarten - second grade will love reading these books on their own. They are also great read alouds for the teachers and parents to share with their children. This series takes us through a year in the life of Mona the mouse who finds safety and then a new job as a maid in a large tree which is a Hotel for the small woodland creatures. She saves the day in each of the the three books I read. In the fall she makes friends with a bear who helps scare away the wolves. In the winter she discovers who is stealing their food supply and in the spring story she deals with an invasion of owls. The summer book isn't out until July. However, it looks like a wedding and a new guest who might be related to Mona are featured in the story.
Cherry Blossoms & Maple Syrup Blogspot
Heartwood Hotel is such a cute series, and this first book was such a delight. Mona is such a sweet little heroine who starts out homeless and then stumbles open a beautiful hotel in the forest. I wanted to cuddle Mona throughout the story because she is so kind, but is full of determination. She’s a great role model character for younger readers. Each character is so charming, though! I LOVED bossy Tilly, though she somewhat reminded me of my own mother. This first book is just so comfortable, warm and cozy. While there is some danger in the story, it’s nothing too frighting, but it teaches children about finding strength in unlikely situations and how friendship can help solve bigger problems. I also want to praise the illustrations by Stephanie Graegin, which I feel accompany the story so beautifully. I loved having the pictures side-by-side with the text, and I can only imagine how beautiful the artwork looks in the finished edition. This first book is so charming, and it’s definitely one I will be recommending to younger readers when the opportunity arises.
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers Blogspot
An adorable addition to the growing Heartwood Hotel series with enough danger and excitement to keep it interesting, but a whole lot of the friendship and heart we've come to love. It was great visiting with old friends, enjoyable making new ones, and wonderful to see Mona settle in more at her new(ish) home. ]
Audrey's Books
Kallie George has created an absolutely charming and whimsical story. It is full of endearing characters that young children will love, along with some great life lessons, too. She deals with bravery, compassion and self-esteem and of course the power of friendship. This book is perfect for kids who are reading early chapter books but looking for something just a little more difficult. And as my eight-year-old can attest, it makes a great read aloud! — Kelly Dyer, Manager/Children’s Buyer
Jean Little Library Blogspot
Mona Mouse has been through a lot in the first two titles of the Heartwood Hotel series. She's found a new home and friends, helped save the hotel from disaster, and solved exciting mysteries. But now she and the entire hotel are facing a brand-new challenge: Mr. Heartwood is taking a vacation! Graegin's art is as cozy and adorable as ever, with delicate drawings of anxious robin parents and their egg, arguing frog and raccoon bands, and the squabbling fireflies and bees. There aren't many of this type of cozy story anymore, but I have a ready audience for them at my library. There are no flashy magic spells, exciting acts of courage, or sudden revelations, but Mona's quiet little world is very appealing to readers who like cozy, comforting stories. Her daily trials and tribulations as she struggles to fit into her small world, as well as the adorable miniature art pieces that fill the book, are relatable to many of my small patrons. They are a little challenging for beginning chapter readers who aren't yet fluent, but dearly loved by younger readers with a high degree of fluency and vocabulary who aren't yet ready for more mature middle grade titles. Verdict: I have several readers eagerly awaiting the latest in this series and I strongly recommend it as an addition to any library collection that is trying to meet the needs of this community of readers.
Orange Marmalade Books Review
This is the third episode in a darling series set in the Heartwood Hotel, a lovely woodland resort nestled in an enormous tree and catering to birds and insects, squirrels and skunks, voles and porcupines.... Just the right mix of imaginative, miniature worlds and zesty adventure make this series perfect for reading aloud to 5 & 6 year olds, handing to an advanced-but-young reader, or enjoyed in the hammock by kids who prefer their fiction more charming than spine-tingling.
YA & Kids Book Central
Readers will cheer for these kind, brave, beloved characters as they embark on their next adventure in the third book of the charmingly illustrated Heartwood Hotel series.
Books 4 Your Kids
Having worked with kid's books for 25 years now, I can tell you that series like this are rare. The Heartwood Hotel books bring to life the the charming creativity of an anthropomorphized community of woodland creatures, balancing it with the unpredictable dangers of life in the natural world.
Meridian Magazine
Heartwood Hotel, by Kallie George, and beautifully illustrated by Stephanie Graegin, is one of my favorite early chapter book series about a tiny mouse, named Mona, and her dwelling. There have been three books published so far and each of the stories are richly told and full of adventure and learning about friendship. Each of these books would be wonderful to read out loud.
San Franciso Book Review
Author Kallie George has written another enchanting book [Better Together] in the Heartwood Hotel series that will delight young readers. The characters are fully-formed and as believable as animal characters can be. The charming illustrations by Stephanie Graegin support the story perfectly. Each book in this series easily stands on its own, but they, as a group, will keep young readers reading for days on end.
Dad of Divas
This is a really sweet book about friendship, courage and community. The reader will become involved with the characters challenges, pasts, and how they overcome issues with the other animals at the hotel.
Such a wonderful chapter book for a child to read independently or for a child and parent to read together.
There is adventure and finding trust. There is problem solving and using their instincts. The animals work together to keep Heartwood Hotel and its guests safe and happy.
Awards and recognition
Junior Library Guild Selection
A Silver Birch Express Award Honour Book
Chosen for Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District's Horned Toad Tale list (2018-2019)
Nominated for a BC Book Prize 2018
Shining Willow nominated title
Florida SSYRA Book Award Nominee 2018-2019
CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens: Starred Selection
Nominated for the Surrey Schools Fiction Book of the Year, 2018-19
Sir Cumference and Viking's Map
ISBN 9781570917929
Regular price $9.99by Cindy Neuschwander; illustrated by Wayne Geehan
For fans of the Sir Cumference series with coordinate geometry on their mind, here is the seventh installment in this fun look at math and language.
While riding through the forests of Angleland, cousins Per and Radius realize they are lost and are desperate for a map to guide them home. Soon they come across a mysterious house in the hills. Inside they find a map to a treasure belonging to Xaxon Yellowbearyd, the fiercest Viking warrior of his time. Per and Radius must decode the strange numbered grid on the map, while trying to steer clear of the pack of bungling bandits who are on their tail. Will they find the treasure in time?
Cindy Neuschwander delivers yet another intriguing math adventure featuring the well-known characters of Angleland. Readers will enjoy following Per and Radius in their quest while learning how coordinate geometry relates to everyday life. Wayne Geehan’s beautiful illustrations offer a bit of comic relief, while also clearly demonstrating the concepts explored in the story.
Perfect for parent and teachers who are looking to make math fun and accessible for everyone.
Download the coordinate map from the publisher's website here.
Recommended for children ages 8-12 years.
Softcover, 32 pages.
Charlesbridge. Printed in China.
Reviews:
"In the seventh addition to the Sir Cumference series, cousins Per and Radius are lost in the medieval countryside when they discover a map decorated with two hand "axes" featuring X and Y coordinates. The map promises to lead them to treasure belonging to Viking Xaxon Yellowbearyd. As Per and Radius follow the map on horseback, they discover additional X and Y coordinate clues left by Xaxon, which readers can help them locate on the large map. Outwitting a gang of bandits, Per and Radius follow the last coordinates to Xaxon's ghost, who gives them the treasure (in the form of more maps). Neuschwander does an admirable job of injecting humor (namely, some groan-inducing puns) and action (bandits! ghosts!) into this explanation of coordinates and axes, and Geehan's thickly worked paintings contribute some drama of their own." ~ Publishers Weekly
Sir Cumference Gets Decima's Point
ISBN 9781570918452
Regular price $9.99by Cindy Neuschwander; illustrated by Wayne Geehan
The best baker in the realm has a delicious problem.
Camelot's best baker, Pia of Chartres, has been kidnapped! But her overeager ogre captors don't want her on the menu – they want her famous Crème de la Crumb for the annual ogre feast. When pixies crash the party and an enthusiastic rescue team makes a mess of Pia's pastries, can Sir Cumference and his faithful companions devise a system to make sure everyone gets their "just desserts"?
This latest installation in the beloved Sir Cumference series introduces the decimal system with trademark medieval humor and heart.
Recommended for children ages 7-10 years.
Softcover, 32 pages.
Charlesbridge Publishing.
Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone
ISBN 9781570916014
Regular price $9.99by Cindy Neuschwander; illustrated by Wayne Geehan
Five knights compete for the honor of heir.
King Arthur has hidden his sword, Edgecalibur and issued a challenge to the knights. The first knight to find the sword will be the next king. Can Sir Cumference and Lady Di point Radius's best friend, Vertex in the right direction? Will Vertex's sharp thinking give him the edge?
Join Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter, and their son, Radius, as they race to help Vertex find the sword and discover the secrets of cubes, pyramids, cylinders, and cones.
Recommended for children ages 8-12 years.
Softcover, 32 pages.
Charlesbridge. Printed in China.
Download activities to accompany the book at the publisher's website here.
Reviews:
"Neuschwander retells "The Sword in the Stone" from a mathematical angle. Readers follow along with Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter as their son Radius and his friend Vertex set out to find Edgecalibur. Filled with riddles and puns, the story is sure to delight students with some geometry background. Geehan's bright oil, acrylic, and pen-and-ink paintings include all the visual details that the text needs to help solve this geometrical mystery. If your students have enjoyed the first three books in the series, they will certainly want this one. Make sure to share these gems with your math teachers. The books can be used to support educational initiatives such as multiple intelligences, and students who are strong in verbal/linguistic areas will appreciate the integration of literature into their math lessons." ~ School Library Journal
"Sir Cumference equals circumference, get it? This adventure series about a knight in the time of King Arthur centers on mysteries that can be solved only by using math. The latest book, The Sword in the Cone, is a play on the Arthurian legend, in which a boy named Arthur pulled a sword out of a stone to become king. That sword was called Excalibur; in this book, the sword is Edgecalibur. But the prize is the same: The person who finds the sword will be king. Sir Cumference's son, Radius, and trusty pal Vertex set off to seek the sword with only a clue about "shapes that make 2" to guide them. Sound 2 good 2 be true? Read the book, and you'll find it works!" ~ Dallas Morning News
"In the fourth book of this series, Radius, son of Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter, tackles a mathematical puzzle that wins his friend, Vertex, the honor of becoming the king's heir. Whimsical illustrations bursting with rich colors entice readers to join the boys as they creatively use models, math, and a little manual labor to find Edgecalibur, the king's sword. Neuschwander, an elementary school teacher, chooses Euler's Law as a starting point for the joureny and cleverly wraps it up with a nod to the future King Vertex, the Line-Hearted." ~ Childhood Education
Sir Cumference and all the King's Tens
ISBN 9781570917288
Regular price $9.99by Cindy Neuschwander; illustrated by Wayne Geehan
A clever introduction to place value.
Sir Cumference and Lady Di planned a surprise birthday party for King Arthur, but they didn’t expect so many guests to show up. How many lunches will they need? And with more guests arriving by the minute, what about dinner? Sir Cumference and Lady Di have to figure out a quick way to count the guests to bring order to the party.
Sir Cumference and his friends have been entertaining young and old alike for years as they introduce important math concepts with clarity and humor.
Recommended for children ages 8-12 years.
Softcover, 32 pages.
Charlesbridge. Printed in China.
Download activities to accompany the book at the publisher's website here.
Reviews:
School Library Journal
Sir Cumference and his wife, Lady Di, are back in another math adventure. As the hosts of a surprise birthday party for King Arthur, the couple needs to organize a growing number of guests for events to run smoothly. After several fumbling attempts to count the crowd, Sir Cumference realizes that the simplest way to figure out the total is to group the guests into tens, hundreds, and ultimately thousands. This system allows the royal celebration to take place without a hitch, resulting in a happy ending for all. Children will enjoy the lesson built into this tale and identify with the birthday-party theme. While the story can be enjoyed independently, most youngsters would benefit from sharing the book with an adult to fully understand the place value system. The math concept is explained in more detail in an author’s note. The painterly acrylic illustrations convey the action with humorous exaggeration and amusing details (the depiction of a farmer and his wife is reminiscent of Grand Wood’s American Gothic). Libraries in which this series is popular will want to consider purchasing this title.
The Midwest Book Review
Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens is a Math Adventure book for elementary age children that uses the king's surprise birthday celebration for a chance to learn to count by tens. Surprise party guest attendance must be counted quickly because Lady Di and Sir Cumference, the host and hostess for the birthday party, need to know how many guests to feed for lunch and dinner. In a comical series of preparation adventures, Sir Cumference and Lady Di count guests by tens, hundreds, and even thousands, using a system known as "place value" for their numbers. How many guests attend in total, and does the gloomy king finally smile and enjoy his birthday party? Inquisitive budding math minds will want to know, so pages will painlessly turn and numbers will effortlessly be learned in Sir Cumference and All the King's Men, a math masterpiece!
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Continuing the adventure of Sir Cumference and the Lady Di Ameter with a place-value focus, this tells the story of guests arriving for a surprise birthday party for the king. When large numbers of people start to appear,so does the problem of getting an accurate count for lunch and dinner acommodations. Several methods are explored before the idea of creating groups of tens, hundreds, and then thousands are introduced to garner and accurate count.
The book also includes the idea of writing large numbers in expanded notation. This book is engaging and an excellent way to incorporate literacy and mathematics. The biggest strength of this book is its introduction of counting and the importance of having an organized system for counting. Used in tandem with the other books in the series, students are introduced to different math topics with a familiar cast of characters. After the story, an additional page makes more connections between the story and place value, with suggestions of ways students can use the imagery in the book to help understand the value of a big number the next time they see one.
I recommend this book, as well as other in the series, to teachers looking for an engaging way to incorporate math and literacy into their classroom.