As publishers of nonfiction books for children, we are constantly striving to create books that kids can enjoy while having educational value. We want to publish books that count! It can be a challenging task. Many times, it is hard to find the perfect balance between a book that both kids and educators will embrace.

It is even harder when it comes to certain topics…like math! Is there anything that sounds more boring to many kids than math class? Probably cleaning up their room comes to mind!

In the recent push for STEM books, math has been, unfortunately, last and least. We know that math is a necessary skill for children to construct the world around them and we need books that show kids how math can apply to everyday life.

So, keeping in mind the importance of math and the needs of librarians, teachers and parents, at Scholastic Library Publishing we decided to publish math books that were both appealing and educational. The result is four wonderful math series that can be used as curriculum support both at home and at school while having, at least, a bit of fun. 😉

Check them out! We are sure you will find interesting books to add to your library.

MATH COUNTS—In print. Also available as ebook in September 2021.

The original Math Counts series by Henry Arthur Pluckrose was published in the nineties and became an instant classic in classrooms and libraries around the country. Recently, we released fully updated editions of all 10 books in the series. They contain all new photography. We were sad to see the shoulder pads and the hairspray go, but it was worth it! The new editions have beautiful, modern, diverse, and colorful photos that will appeal to all readers. Each book explores one central mathematical concept such as Length, Size, Time, and Pattern using real world photos and short meaningful text. All the books in this series allow kids in grades K to 3 to see, talk, touch, and experiment with math!

REAL WORLD MATH—Coming in September 2021, available simultaneously in ebook.

This appealing series demonstrates how math skills can be applied to high-interest topics and careers in Coding, Building, Tracking Animals, and Space Exploration. Real world scientists, architects, programmers, and mathematicians model hands-on, from-the-field experiences in a way that will make children excited to use and expand their math skills. Created with an emphasis on gender and ethnic diversity, these engaging books include "You Can Do It!" math challenges perfectly crafted for grades K to 2. We really love the design of these books, and how they are truly able to show readers how math applies to high interest jobs and careers.

NATURE NUMBERS—To be published in January 2022, available simultaneously in ebook.

In this innovative series, highly engaging pictures of animals and nature scenes pair with “Try This!” math challenges to introduce basic math concepts in the K-2 curriculum. In Can You See a Circle? kids will explore basic shapes. In How Many Penguins? readers will count animals from 0 to 100. In How Slow Is a Sloth? kids will measure colorful animals in the rainforest. And in How Many Dolphins in a Pod? kids will explore the power of ten with ocean animals. Written with simple sentences and on-level vocabulary, this exciting series will encourage kids to see a world of numbers all around them while being inspired to appreciate the natural world. We love the gorgeous photos and how they transport the reader to the natural world…that is actually full of numbers!

MATH EVERYWHERE

These fantastic books are perfect to show students starting in 5th grade that math is much more than a challenging subject in school. Encompassing 5 volumes, one on units and measurement (Get the Measure), one on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division (Super Sums), one on shapes (Get in Shape), another one on probability, statistics, ratios, and proportions (What are the Chances?) and a last one on digits, number lines, negative and positive numbers (Your Number’s Up), these books have an engaging design combining photos and artwork that makes math look exciting. We think this series is perfect for both students who enjoy math and those who find it a bit daunting. We learned so much while editing this series! It’s one of the many wonderful things about our jobs: we never stop learning!

What do the books in these four series have in common? They all show how math can go beyond the walls of the classroom and actually apply to everyday life. And what else do they have in common? They are all…books that count!

Joana Costa Knufinke
Editor in Chief
Scholastic Library Publishing

Download the complete list of books mentioned in this article here.

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