"Maths is fun" is the message of Maths Year 2000 and books with maths puzzles, quests, themes and storylines are a great way to explore and investigate mathematical ideas for seven- to 11-year-olds as well as motivate the reluctant reader and retarded mathematician! You can also take a trip to <A HREF="http://www.mathsyear2000.org"" TARGET="_NEW">Matrix, Maths Year 2000's new, interactive museum and gallery.
Murderous Maths: The Essential Arithmetricks
Kjartan Poskitt
(Scholastic, £3.99)
Chainsaw Charlie, Half Smile and the gang will help you count your way out of the diabolical death trap and stop the horrendous green-spot epidemic in this funny collection of cartoons and stories. Kjartan Poskitt knits in explanations of the maths and mathematical terms in a series of these entertaining Murderous Maths books. But it carries a warning: "This book contains some rather rude sums!"
Number Puzzles: Solve the Sums, Seek the Crystal!
Peter Patilla
(Walker Books, £1.99)
This graphic novel will appeal to reluctant readers as well as reluctant mathematicians who like the "quest" format of solving the puzzles of mazes, runes, caves, pyramids and swamps to get to the magical crystal. Sky Master and Planet Prince provide the commentary while the Wise Monkey offers clues and directions.
Design a Pram
Anne Fine
(Mammoth Yellow Bananas, £3.99)
Applying mathematical skills to solve real practical problems has always been the sure-fire way to turn children on to maths, and this book is a lovely example of how children can rise to the task when they are set an interesting challenge. It is the story, simply but artfully told, of a harassed teacher, Mr Oakway, who is trying to write his annual reports and sets the children a spontaneous challenge to design a pram. Little does he know what the outcome will be, and that the children employ so much mathematical ingenuity that he has to judge the results. Classic Anne Fine irony!
One in a Million: a book of poems where maths is fun
compiled by Moira Andrew
(Young Puffin, £3.99)
We can all come to love the pattern, structure and symmetry of maths and many of us will come to love it through the creative and narrative insights that are provided by poems about maths. This collection includes both traditional rhymes and contemporary work by poets such as Judith Nicholls and Russell Hoban. It is also arranged by theme so you can pick out reflective, thought-provoking, witty and even funny poems about everything from height and weight, money and shopping to shape, pattern, time, days and dates. Proof that maths really is fun!
Ruby's Recipes
Akulah Agbami
(Mammoth Storybook, £3.99)
Ruby's mum, Arlene, runs a busy Caribbean restaurant. The trouble is, it's just a bit too successful for Ruby's liking because she doesn't get to see her mum as often as she would like. So Ruby decides to embark on a "Teach yourself to cook course" and starts with the "cakes and biscuits" section, with predictably disastrous results! This delightful story shows how important the mathematical skills of weighing, measuring and estimating are and how you really cannot afford to take them for granted. Ruby's mum, big brother Jerry and Grandma come to the rescue and in the process demonstrate the maths of some delicious recipes. I know, I've tried some of them!
