I’m Trying to Love Math
by Bethany Barton
Viking Books for Young Readers (July 2, 2019)
Nonfiction * Math * Humor
Audience: Ages 5 to 8
Indiebound | WorldCat
Description from GoodReads:
Do multiplication tables give you hives? Do you break out in a sweat when you see more than a few numbers hanging out together? Then I'm Trying to Love Math is for you! In her signature hilarious style, Bethany Barton introduces readers to the things (and people) that use math in amazing ways -- like music, and spacecraft, and even baking cookies! This isn't a how-to math book, it's a way to think differently about math as a necessary and cool part of our lives!
Quick thoughts:
Math has never come easy to me. I have always been more of a word person than a numbers person. However, when you stop and think about it, numbers are such an essential part of our daily lives. And in Barton’s latest book, she does an outstanding job or reminding readers of how we are surrounded by numbers and math.
I loved Barton’s book about spiders and then loved her book about bees just a bit more and I think I love her math book the most.
Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island
by Jennifer Thermes
Abrams Books for Young Children (August 6, 2019)
Nonfiction * History * Maps
Audience: Ages 8 to 12
Indiebound | WorldCat
Description from GoodReads:
"An innovative look back through time, Manhattan Maps follows the history of Manhattan Island from its natural formation to the bustling city today. It explores the ways in which nature and people are connected, tracking the people who lived on Manhattan from the Lenape Indians to Dutch settlers hunting for beaver pelts to early Americans and beyond, and how they've (literally) shaped the island (and vice versa). Jen Thermes highlights watershed moments where nature demanded action of New Yorkers--the Great Fire of 1835, the Great Blizzard of 1888, and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In special sidebars, she closely traces specific threads of history and their lasting impact today--New York as a hub for immigration and the slave trade, for example. An epic volume that chronicles the rise of Manhattan through the lenses of geography, city planning, sociology, historiography, and more, Manhattan Maps is a groundbreaking format that will fascinate curious readers of all ages"
Quick thoughts:
This is the third book by Thermes that I have read, and I think this is my favorite of them. The illustrated history of Manhattan is beautifully done. There is so much to see and read in this book that you can’t take it all in on one read through. So don’t try. Just plan on savoring it over multiple reads.
Mark your calendars and look for them at your local bookstore.
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