For Kids and Their Grown-ups: Making Math Fun!
Created by Linda Tripp, collection development librarian
SCLSNJ connects grown-ups with materials to make math learning fun for kids! Sharing stories with young children is important for literacy development, but children’s books offer many rich opportunities to develop math skills, too. Reading books together is an enjoyable experience, offering a fun and relaxed way for adults to ask questions and guide children’s observations about mathematical concepts. What’s more, a good book can serve as a jumping-off point to explore concepts further while going about everyday activities. The Library’s collection includes math-based picture book series with great illustrations and fun stories, along with stand-along books and nonfiction.
The joyful stories and hands-on activities of the Storytelling Math series make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Young readers will delight in the antics of the adorable chicks introducing essential math concepts in the Arithmechicks picture books by Ann Marie Stephens and illustrator Jia Liu. The interactive picture books of Jonathan Litton’s STEAM Stories each introduce a different STEAM topic: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Young fans of the popular “Peg + Cat” television series will enjoy these picture books based on the PBS Kids show. The choose-your-own path format of the Mini Math Mysteries series by Thomas K. and Heather Adamson will appeal to slightly older children as they work alongside Lincoln Elementary School’s second graders to solve mysteries using simple math concepts.
In addition to numerous stand alone mathematics picture books and nonfiction books, SCLSNJ offers access to always available online books to help caretakers encourage math skills in young children. Log into TumbleMath using your SCLSNJ library card, and find a comprehensive collection of math stories in the animated Tumblebook format complete with narration. Math concepts are listed at the top of the page, or you can use the quiz portal to find books for specific math curriculum standards. Popular series include Mouse Math, Math Matters, MathStart, Math is CATegorical!, Sir Cumference books, and Math Manga.