Teachers can bank on these math series to encourage successful classroom learning. ABDO’s “Shapes Everywhere” and Picture Window’s “Wacky Comparisons,” are more informational, but the rest can be broken down into two categories: serious math skills practice titles and money management volumes. The computation books include numerous exercises and a couple of them list the specific skills covered. The four financial management series offer something for everyone, from kindergarteners to high school seniors. It’s encouraging that except for one series, publishers have been careful to keep the computations accurate.

Preschool-Grade 4

BULLARD, Lisa. Brody Borrows Money. illus. by Mike Byrne. ISBN 978-1-4677-0763-3; ISBN 978-1-4677-1695-6; ISBN 978-1-4677-1508-9. LC 2012047850.

––––. Ella Earns Her Own Money. illus. by Mike Moran. ISBN 978-1-4677-0761-9; ISBN 978-1-4677-1693-2; ISBN 978-1-4677-1511-9. LC 2012037343.

––––. Gabriel Gets a Great Deal. illus. by Mike Moran. ISBN 978-1-4677-0766-4; ISBN 978-1-4677-1696-3; ISBN 978-1-4677-1512-6. LC 2012039678.

––––. Kyle Keeps Track of Cash. illus. by Mike Byrne. ISBN 978-1-4677-0762-6; ISBN 978-1-4677-1694-9; ISBN 978-1-4677-1510-2. LC 2012048934.

––––. Lily Learns About Wants and Needs. illus. by Christine Schneider. ISBN 978-1-4677-0764-0; ISBN 978-1-4677-1698-7; ISBN 978-1-4677-1509-6. LC 2012045896.

––––. Shanti Saves Her Money. illus. by Christine Schneider. ISBN 978-1-4677-0765-7; ISBN 978-1-4677-1697-0; ISBN 978-1-4677-1513-3. LC 2012041774.

ea vol: 24p. (Cloverleaf Books: Money Basics Series). further reading. glossary. index. websites. Millbrook. 2013. lib. ed. $23.93; ebk. $17.95; pap. $6.95.

K-Gr 2–This series teaches money basics by putting diverse characters into familiar financial situations. For example, in Ella, Ella wants to earn money to purchase a $20 soccer ball. Her mom gives her $2 for allowance, of which she saves 75 cents, shares 25 cents, and puts $1 in her spend jar. Ella then does extra chores, helps neighbors, sells an old game, and finally gets the last amount from grandma after helping her clean the garage. The way the kids earn money, sell items, and interact with parents and other adults is realistic and encouraging. Some of the financials are simplified: there is never any tax to consider, and when selling candy for a camping trip, the cost of the product is not discussed–the entire sale is treated as profit. The illustrations are bold and bright and support the texts. The books all end with an appealing activity. Overall, this series would be valuable at home and at school to prompt discussions about money management.

BUSSIERE, Desirée. Bowling By the Numbers. ISBN 978-1-61783-842-2; ISBN 978-1-62401-243-3.LC 2012049832.

––––. Golf By the Numbers. ISBN 978-1-61783-843-9; ISBN 978-1-62401-244-0. lib. LC 2012049959.

––––. Gymnastics By the Numbers. ISBN 978-1-61783-844-6; ISBN 978-1-62401-245-7. lib. LC 2012049950.

––––. Skateboarding By the Numbers. ISBN 978-1-61783-845-3; ISBN 978-1-62401-246-4. lib. LC 2012049957.

––––. Swimming By the Numbers. ISBN 978-1-61783-846-0; ISBN 978-1-62401-247-1. lib. LC 2012049955.

––––. Tennis By the Numbers. ISBN 978-1-61783-847-7; ISBN 978-1-62401-248-8.. LC 2012049952.

ea vol: 24p. (Sports By the Numbers Series). diag. glossary. illus. photos. ABDO. 2013. lib. ed. $22.78; ebk. $22.78

K-Gr 1–Each volume begins with an introduction that provides readers with some fairly complex facts about the subjects. For example, in Bowling, students learn that “The distance between the foul line and the first pin is 60 feet (18.2 m).” The books then switch to simpler sections with larger font size. “Kyle is a fast swimmer. He likes swimming freestyle best.” “By the Numbers!” text boxes pose an addition or subtraction word problem. “Kyle has to swim 6 laps. He has finished 4. How many more laps will he swim?” Answers are in the back, along with some interesting facts about the sport and a short glossary. These volumes are simply tools to give students practice with addition and subtraction. There is no explanation of any of the answers or any definition of the operations. Teachers can use them as materials for independent readers or to spark group discussions about solving word problems. Full-page color photos illustrate the pages.

CLEMSON, Wendy & Frances Clemson . Dinosaur Dig. ISBN 978-1-84898-939-9.

––––. Firefighters to the Rescue. ISBN 978-1-84898-905-4.

––––. Journey to the Moon. ISBN 978-1-84898-900-9.

––––. Ocean Giants. ISBN 978-1-84898-901-6.

––––. Treasure in the Jungle. ISBN 978-1-84898-902-3.

––––. Zookeeper for the day. ISBN 978-1-84898-903-0.

ea vol: 32p. (Real World Math Blue Level Series). chart. diag. illus. photos. reprods. TickTock. 2013. pap. $5.99.

Gr 2-4–By focusing on high-interest jobs, large photos, and an attractive layout, this set uses a series of questions to encourage students to practice math skills. The tables of content contain a list of skills covered. Some of them are as simple as number order and skip counting by fives and tens, but also include reading bar and picture graphs, performing mental math calculations, telling time, and estimating. The texts are clearly written and the questions are worded in a way that readers will have no trouble understanding what is being asked; each spread has three to nine questions. The layout flows well and the graphics assist students in solving the problems. Each volume contains a “Tips and Help” section that provides an explanation for some of the questions, followed by the answers. Good choice for differentiation in the classroom.

GAARDER-JUNTTI, Oona. Shapes at Home. ISBN 978-1-61783-411-0; ISBN 978-1-62401-257-0. LC 2011050921.

––––. Shapes at School. ISBN 978-1-61783-412-7; ISBN 978-1-62401-258-7. LC 2011051110.

––––. Shapes in Food. ISBN 978-1-61783-413-4; ISBN 978-1-62401-259-4. LC 2011051113.

––––. Shapes in Nature. ISBN 978-1-61783-414-1; ISBN 978-1-62401-260-0. LC 2011051114.

––––. Shapes in Sports. ISBN 978-1-61783-415-8; ISBN 978-1-62401-261-7. LC 2011051115.

––––. Shapes on a Farm. ISBN 978-1-61783-416-5; ISBN 978-1-62401-262-4. LC 2011051116.

ea vol: 24p. (Shapes Everywhere Series). glossary. illus. photos. ABDO. 2013. lib. ed. $25.65; ebk. $25.65.

PreS-K–These basic books do not teach shapes. Rather, they reinforce previous knowledge. Each title begins with the same explanation of 2-D and 3-D. After the introduction, eight different shapes, one per spread, are covered. The layout consists of a short paragraph and a picture of an everyday item with the targeted shape outlined with a white dotted line. The texts do not describe the shape but rather attempt to put it into a context. For example, Home explains that “The dog dish is a cylinder. Levi gives his dog cold water after their walk. They walk around the lake every day.” The large photo is of a dog drinking from a water dish. The volumes end with a page of shapes. Although attractive and their tie-ins to the real world useful, these books contain minimal information.

GUNDERSON, Jessica. How Big?: Wacky Ways to Compare Size. illus. by Keino. ISBN 978-1-4048-8325-3; ISBN 978-1-4795-1915-6.

––––. How Long?: Wacky Ways to Compare Length. illus. by Igor Sinkovec. ISBN 978-1-4048-8324-6; ISBN 978-1-4795-1914-9.

WEAKLAND, Mark. How Heavy?: Wacky Ways to Compare Weight. illus. by Bill Bolton. ISBN 978-1-4048-8322-2; ISBN 978-1-4795-1912-5.

––––. How Tall?: Wacky Ways to Compare Height. illus. by Igor Sinkovec. ISBN 978-1-4048-8323-9; ISBN 978-1-4795-1913-2.

ea vol: 24p. (Wacky Comparisons Series). further reading. websites. Picture Window. 2013. lib. ed. $27.32; pap. $7.95.

K-Gr 3–This set is fun and silly and compares things familiar to the target audience. For example, in Long, a human tooth is contrasted with a shark’s tooth–“3 pointy human teeth, it’s the truth, are nearly the length of 1 great white shark tooth.” The measurement used– “1 shark tooth = 2 1/2 in. (6 cm); 1 human tooth = 7/8 in. (22 millimeters)”–is provided for each example. Older readers can work the numbers to re-create the comparison. The metric computation doesn’t always come out exactly the same, but that could result in a valuable discussion about conversions. The texts are minimal and the rhymes are mostly successful, but these titles are really about the numbers. The digital illustrations are appropriately humorous for the tone. This series contains some extreme comparisons (e.g., one blue whale weighs the same as 3.2 million mice), which some students may struggle with conceptualizing. Overall, these volumes would lead to informative lessons about measurements.

MURRAY, Stuart A. P. Score with Baseball Math. ISBN 978-0-7660-4174-5. LC 2012028797.

––––. Score with Basketball Math. ISBN 978-0-7660-4178-3. LC 2012045291.

––––. Score with Football Math. ISBN 978-0-7660-4173-8. LC 2012028798.

––––. Score with Race Car Math. ISBN 978-0-7660-4177-6. LC 2012028797.

––––. Score with Soccer Math. ISBN 978-0-7660-4175-2. LC 2012028799.

––––. Score with Track and Field Math. ISBN 978-0-7660-4176-9. LC 2012039702.

ea vol: 48p. (Score with Sports Math Series). chart. diag. further reading. index. photos. websites. Enslow Elementary. 2013. lib. ed. $23.93.

Gr 3-5–Athletics-themed series are typically popular, but this one may struggle to find a following since question-and-answer exercises are its focus. The writing, although clear and full of accurate facts about the subjects, is not engaging. The visuals consist of mostly action shots of the sports; they’re attractive, but some are small. Each book begins with an introduction followed by chapters that mix facts and statistics about the subject with math questions and answers. The last chapter describes a game, meet, or race, and tries to build excitement with close outcomes. For example, in Basketball, there’s just three seconds left in a game and the score is 69-68; players James and Dylan both jump for the ball. “The final buzzer sounds, and the crowd roars!” Readers do not need to work the problems out since the answers immediately follows the questions, but the explanations are solid and could be helpful to struggling mathematicians who are interested in the featured sports.

RANDOLPH, Ryan. How to Earn Money. ISBN 978-1-4777-0741-8; ISBN 978-1-4777-1000-5. LC 2012041865.

––––. How to Make a Budget. ISBN 978-1-4777-0743-2; ISBN 978-1-4777-1002-9. LC 2013000753.

––––. How to Manage Risk. ISBN 978-1-4777-0745-6; ISBN 978-1-4777-1004-3. LC 2012045384.

––––. How to Save and Invest. ISBN 978-1-4777-0742-5; ISBN 978-1-4777-1001-2. LC 2012043668.

––––. How to Use Credit. ISBN 978-1-4777-0744-9; ISBN 978-1-4777-1003-6. LC 2012044926.

ea vol: 24p. (A Smart Kid’s Guide to Personal Finance Series). glossary. index. photos. websites. Rosen/PowerKids Pr. 2013. lib. ed. $22.60; ebk. $22.60.

Gr 2-5–These volumes are well written, but deliver only very basic information about finances. There’s nothing in the texts or layout to make them stand out, and the lack of details and examples limits their usefulness. For example, in Budget, there is no representation of a budget. The staged photographs add nothing. The clear writing may find a place with struggling readers and in classrooms in which personal finance is taught and teachers work one-on-one with students.

STEFFORA, Tracey. Adding with Ants . ISBN 978-1-4329-7558-6; ISBN 978-1-4329-7565-4. LC 2012049396.

––––. Comparing with Cats. ISBN 978-1-4329-7559-3; ISBN 978-1-4329-7566-1. LC 2012049398.

––––. Measuring with Monkeys. ISBN 978-1-4329-7560-9; ISBN 978-1-4329-7567-8. LC 2012049378.

––––. Skip Counting with Meerkats . ISBN 978-1-4329-7561-6; ISBN 978-1-4329-7568-5. LC 2012049379.

––––. Taking Away with Tigers. ISBN 978-1-4329-7563-0; ISBN 978-1-4329-7570-8. LC 2012049449.

ea vol: 24p. (Animal Math Series). chart. diag. glossary. photos. Heinemann. 2013. lib. ed. $21.99; pap. $5.99.

PreS-Gr 1–This series aims to use “cute or high-interest animals” to teach adding, measuring, take away, comparing, and skip counting. There’s nothing exciting here but the texts do explain the concepts well. For example, Skip Counting starts with adding twos: 2+2=4; two more are added through basic addition: 2+2+2=6. At six, a number line is introduced, along with circling groups of two. The photos are clear and bright but repetitive. Teaching notes provide additional classroom activities. Questions that are asked are answered in the back. This set specifically targets the Common Core standards, going so far as to list the standards being addressed–a very useful addition for teachers.

Grades 5 & Up

BAILEY, Diane. Top 10 Secrets for Creating and Sticking to a Budget Successfully. ISBN 978-1-4488-9360-7; ISBN 978-1-4488-9367-6.

DASILVA-GORDON, Maria. Top 10 Secrets for Making Money and Even More Money. ISBN 978-1-4488-9359-1; ISBN 978-1-4488-9366-9.

HOLLANDER, Barbara Gottfried. Top 10 Secrets for Investing Successfully. ISBN 978-1-4488-9357-7; ISBN 978-1-4488-9364-5.

––––. Top 10 Secrets for Spending Your Money Wisely. ISBN 978-1-4488-9361-4; ISBN 978-1-4488-9368-3.

SHEA, Therese. Top 10 Secrets for Managing Credit Cards and Paying Bills Successfully. ISBN 978-1-4488-9358-4; ISBN 978-1-4488-9365-2. LC 2013000913.

SWANSON, Jennifer A. Top 10 Secrets for Saving Successfully. ISBN 978-1-4488-9356-0; ISBN 978-1-4488-9363-8.

ea vol: 64p. (A Student’s Guide to Financial Empowerment Series). bibliog. chart. diag. further reading. glossary. index. photos. websites. Rosen. 2013. lib. ed. $31.95; ebk. $31.95.

Gr 7-10–This series is aimed at helping teens learn how to manage their money. Unfortunately, the texts are not engaging and are, at times, repetitive across the six books. The staged photos add little to the information. Each book has an introduction, followed by 10 chapters, one for each of the “Top 10 Secrets” being discussed. The advice can be condescending and the points are obvious for the intended age group. For example, every volume has a page of questions to ask an expert or mentor. In Spending, one of the questions is “Can fewer expenses and more income help me reach my money goals?” The titles contain lists of places readers can go to for more information (complete with address, website, and brief descriptions), additional reading, and an extensive bibliography. Despite flaws, these books provide basic information.

FISCHER, James. Computer Math. ISBN 978-1-4222-2904-0; ISBN 978-1-4222-8915-0.

––––. Game Math. ISBN 978-1-4222-2907-1; ISBN 978-1-4222-8918-1.

SIMONS, Rae. Fashion Math. ISBN 978-1-4222-2906-4; ISBN 978-1-4222-8917-4.

THOMPSON, Helen. Culinary Math. ISBN 978-1-4222-2905-7; ISBN 978-1-4222-8916-7.

ea vol: 48p. (Math 24/7 Series). chart. diag. further reading. glossary. illus. index. photos. tables. websites. Mason Crest. 2013. lib. ed. $19.95; ebk. $24.95.

Gr 6-8–These books create real-world scenarios that pose challenging yet realistic math problems. For example, in Fashion, Maricela and her friends use money wisely and look for bargains at the mall. She then decides to make her own clothing. By the final chapter, Maricela is selling her products online. Unfortunately, this series is riddled with errors and lack of clarity. Game, for instance, asks “How would you write the number of jewels it takes to win the video game in scientific notation?” But the answer is how many points it takes to win, not jewels. In Fashion, two different amounts are given for how much money Maricela has left for a scarf. Overall the texts can be engaging if students are interested in the topics. The bland color photos add little to the set. These volumes contain some great math practice that can be used for differentiation in the classroom, but the many errors are unacceptable.

GAGNE, Tammy. A Dividend Stock Strategy for Teens. ISBN 978-1-61228-426-2; ISBN 978-1-61228-488-0. LC 2013012289.

––––. Investment Options for Teens. ISBN 978-1-61228-540-5; ISBN 978-1-61228-541-2. LC 2013017844.

––––. A Teen Guide to Buying Bonds. ISBN 978-1-61228-424-8; ISBN 978-1-61228-486-6. LC 2013014379.

––––. A Teen Guide to Safe-Haven Savings. ISBN 978-1-61228-428-6; ISBN 978-1-61228-490-3. LC 2013012548.

KJELLE, Marylou Morano. A Teen Guide to Buying Mutual Funds. ISBN 978-1-61228-427-9; ISBN 978-1-61228-489-7. LC 2013012290.

O’NEAL , Claire. A Teen Guide to Buying Stocks. ISBN 978-1-61228-425-5; ISBN 978-1-61228-487-3. LC 2013012371.

ea vol: 48p. (A Teen Guide to Investing Series). bibliog. chart. further reading. glossary. illus. index. photos. reprods. websites. Mitchell Lane. 2013. lib. ed. $29.95; ebk. $29.95.

Gr 5 Up–This series is a valuable addition to any library or classroom. The clearly written texts are ideal for introducing students to investing. The discussions are straightforward but not oversimplified. The writing is so precise that all readers will come away believing that they can invest successfully. There is a good balance of providing tips to increase chances of making money (diversify!), stressing the importance of research, and warnings of the possible pitfalls. The only possible downside to this series is the attractive but staged-looking photos that will limit initial appeal. “Investor Trivia” text boxes contain interesting facts. For example, in Stock Strategy readers learn that “A single share in the Coca-Cola Company sold for $40 in 1919. Today that one share would be worth $9.8 million.” Some titles include an appendix with specifics. For example, Mutual Funds has a “Low Cost Mutual Funds to Consider” chart. Excellent resources for students wanting to learn more about investing.

If librarians are looking for math practice, TickTock’s “Real World Math Blue Level,” with its appealing layout and clear writing, is an excellent choice. ABDO’s “Sports by the Numbers” provides great addition and subtraction word problems for young readers. Heinemann’s “Animal Math” is basic, but it lists the Common Core standards covered, which is helpful to teachers. Picture Window’s “Wacky Comparisons” can be the starting point for valuable measurement discussions, both U.S. customary and metric. With its clear, concise explanations and engaging material, Mitchell Lane’s “A Teen Guide to Investing” is valuable in any classroom and/or library. For younger students, Millbrook’s “Cloverleaf Books: Money Basics” does a solid job of using everyday situations to teach the importance of saving and spending wisely. Overall, these are not books that were rushed to press to support the Common Core. They are well-planned and challenging titles that target specific skills required by the new standards.