Math’n’Maddox
Mathemagicians
by
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“Ugh! If I never hear my stupid nickname again it will be too soon!” thought a frustrated Mathilda as she practically stomped toward the bus after school. When her teacher had asked her how many quarter cups are in a cup, she had answered “25”. Wrong!
Bobby Blair snickered as he whispered under his breath, “With a name like yours, you should be a math genius!”
When Mathilda Marie Miley was born, she was named after her great-grandmother. Her dad said baby Mathilda had the right number of fingers and the right number of toes, so he called her Math. The nickname stuck! Why couldn’t he have nicknamed her Squirt or Kitten or even Pookie?! She’d happily answer to anything except Math, especially since math is her toughest subject in school.
Thank goodness for Math’s BFF Maddox Hernandez. Maddox is super smart when it comes to mathematics. She LOVES mathematics and has a knack for helping her best friend solve and understand problems in ways that make perfect sense.
Math and Maddox live on the same block, go to the same school, and are in the same class. They are together so often that most people refer to them as one unit…Math’n’ Maddox.
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About the Book
When classmate and frequent tormentor Bobby Blair makes fun of Mathilda’s incorrect answer to their teacher’s question of how many quarter cups are in a cup, Mathilda despises her nickname even more. Why did her dad give her such an awful nickname? Poor Mathilda has unfortunately been called Math since she was a baby. Unfortunate, because mathematics is Math’s worst subject in and out of school.
Math shares her feelings about Bobby Blair’s teasing with her BFF Maddox, who is a math whiz. The girls are together so often, most people refer to them as one unit, Math’n’Maddox. Maddox has a knack for helping Math understand puzzling math concepts by breaking them down using everyday language and relating them to real-world experiences.
This interactive book for elementary aged readers tells how Maddox, with the help of soccer practice, lunch items, and a school magic show, assists Math with grasping the fractional concept of a quarter. When all is said and done, Math feels so confident in her ability to determine a quarter of a whole or a set, she feels like a true mathematician. Or as Maddox jokes, a mathemagician.
An added bonus parent/teacher page provides learning activity ideas to both encourage and enhance student learning.
About the Author
Melva Lea Stewart was born and reared in Bogalusa, Louisiana. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in education from Southeastern Louisiana University. A National Board Certified Teacher, she retired after serving thirty-five years as an educator in the elementary grades where she was a classroom teacher, math specialist, mentor, and consultant. Stewart lives in Waxhaw, North Carolina, with her husband, Kenny.