Think Positive, Pippa!

PreS-Gr 1–This is one of the many titles in the “Math Matters” series, intended to extend reading and math skills. Pippa has mixed feelings about attending Ye Olde Renaissance Faire with her family. She is puzzled by what it entails and does not think she will enjoy it. To begin, she is stuck with a jester costume and has no sword. At the jousting match, Pippa’s knight wins—or does he? He did score -5 after all, and to Pippa, 5 is bigger than 3, right? The outcome truly puzzles her. She seems to be having the worst luck, starting with getting sick on the merry-go-around and ending with her favorite meal of turkey legs selling out. The last activity at the Faire is participating as a game piece in Fairy’s Forest. In this life-sized game, Pippa moves along the “board” by drawing cards to move forward (positive) or backwards (negative). Not only does Pippa ultimately win the game and lead the Royal Parade, but she also learns the meaning of positive and negative numbers. Sidebars along the way help readers understand more, while brightly colored illustrations depict the carnival-like setting.