Math Madness

One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math Eric Yoder is a writer and editor who has been published in a variety of magazines, newspapers, newsletters and online publications on science, government, law, business, sports and other topics. He has contributed to or edited numerous books, mainly in the areas of employee benefits and financial planning. A reporter at The Washington Post who also does freelance writing and editing, he was a member of the Advisory Committee for Science, Naturally's 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science. He and his wife Patti have two daughters, Natalie and Valerie. Eric can be reached at Eric@ScienceNaturally.com Natalie Yoder is a college student whose favorite subjects include psychology, science, and photography. A sports enthusiast, she participates in gymnastics, field hockey, diving, soccer, and track. She also enjoys writing, being with friends and family, and listening to music. She has been interviewed several times, along with her father, on National Public Radio to talk about their work on their One Minute Mysteries series: 65 Short Stories You Solve With Science! and 65 Short Stories You Solve With Math! She looks forward to writing more books. She is thinking about studying for careers in oceanography or photography. She can be reached at Natalie@ScienceNaturally.com 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math Marc Zev is an engineer who has published in the fields of Structural Mechanics and Information Technology. He is founder and president of the Foundation for Innovative Learning, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the problem-solving abilities of children and adults. He also owns Pensive Products, which creates educational tools, such as Math Flaps, a manipulative specifically designed to teach division. He lives in Chatsworth, California with his wife, two sons, four finches and dog. He can be reached at Marc@ScienceNaturally.com. Kevin Segal has a Bachelor's in Pure Mathematics and a Master's in Applied Mathematics, both from California State University, Fullerton. He also completed four years of post-graduate studies in Applied Mathematics at UCLA. An Associate of the Society of Actuaries, he now works as a "charismatic number cruncher." He lives in Chatsworth, California with his wife, daughter and son. He can be reached at Kevin@ScienceNaturally.com. Nathan Levy is a prolific writer. Some of his books include Stories with Holes, Whose Clues? and 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science. A gifted educator, Nathan worked directly with children, teachers and parents in his 35 years as a teacher and principal. He has mentored more than 30 principals and superintendents and trained thousands of teachers in strategies that encourage the love of learning. A resident of Highstown, NJ, he leads workshops for educators and parents. He can be reached at Nathan@ScienceNaturally.com.

Few things zap the fun out of math quicker than a worksheet full of numbers. The mysteries in 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! are word problems that stress cross-curricular reading comprehension, Core Curriculum focused real-world application and a hint of out-of-the-box thinking. They engage students and make math fun! Many kids equate math with drudgery, but this book skillfully meshes humor and excitement with challenging problems. While kids have fun and solve the mysteries, they actually develop important deductive reasoning skills that they will use throughout their lives. One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math! helps kids discover and experience the joys of math! -- Rachel Connelly, Ph.D., Bion R. Cram Professor of Economics, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME This is a fantastic book for quizzing students during the last 10 minutes of class or as a transition activity. The resource section at the back of the book offers fabulous ideas and resources for budding scientists, and the index is very helpful. It can be used for a review after a unit of study, to supplement a unit of study, or to extend a unit of study. Overall, it would be a great addition to any classroom library! -- Tracy Alley, Teacher & Coordinator of Gifted Programs Madeira City Schools & Adjunct Professor, University of Cincinnati 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math truly illustrates the scope and importance of learning and understanding mathematics. It is a fabulous resource for kids, parents and teachers looking for a way to link mathematics to everyday life. With entertaining connections to popular culture, sports, hobbies, science and careers, kids of all ages will find this book engaging...and challenging! -- Carole Basile, Ed.D., University of Colorado, Denver, and Co-Director, Rocky Mountain Middle School Math and Science Partnership 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math is great for practice and exploration. The puzzles and activities are entertaining and smartly connected to real life. Whether you are an expert or a novice, you'll find the challenges to be intriguing and insightful! -- Maria Diamantis, Ed.D., Professor of Mathematics Education, Southern Connecticut State University How to Make Math Exciting When Concepts Get Too Hard"One mom discovers an exciting math learning resource that answers her sons' frustrated question of, When am I ever going to need to use this?"Has math time become a battle with your middle school kids?As my two older boys entered the tween and teen years, I trembled with fear. My boys have negative relationships with math. It was hard enough getting them to complete multiplication and division problems. I wondered how to get them excited and engaged for higher level math?I have noticed that my boys enjoy learning from a format with short stories and problems - it grabs their attention, and helps them retain lessons.The Math Madness Book Set has been the perfect addition to middle school math. These challenging stories and brain teasers provide real life examples of how math is used in everyday life. Perfect for my 13-year old who always wants to know when he will use a concept when he is an adult!Add Real-World MathDo kids often ask, When am I ever going to need to know how to use the quadratic equation or exponents in real life?" Do your teens and tweens respond to math lessons with blank stares?These Math Madness books have been fantastic for adding real-world math to our mornings.Four categories of the math mystery stories include:Math At HomeMath OutsideMath At PlayMath EverydayOne Minute Mysteries adds the twist of mystery to real-life word problems. Problem-solving, logic and deductive reasoning skills are all developed throughout these 65 math stories. Kids can solve using mental math, but students are encouraged to use a pencil and paper for solving.Supplement Middle School MathMath time can be tricky especially during the middle school years. Concepts get harder and take longer to master. Kids who struggle with math from an early age tend to put up a fight when it comes to learning probability, pre-algebra, and pi.The Math Madness Book Set is an excellent supplement for middle school kids. Kids get to learn about how and when to apply practical math skills to everyday living.Parents get satisfaction (and relief!) of knowing that your tweens and teens will now understand that having a knowledge of math is a necessary part of life.Use these books to get those mental juices flowing before the start of math time. The stories only take a minute or two but are juicy enough to spark learning fun.If your middle school math students are really fighting you over math time, this book set would be a great way to take a break from your regular curriculum.Middle School Math ActivitiesDiscover how easily you can add practical yet fun examples and problems to middle school math. The Math Madness Book Set is recommended for ages 10-14. Younger children can benefit from listening along to the stories and questions. Older students can benefit from a review or remedial approach to presented math concepts.Add a jolt of practical yet interesting ways to learn in your middle school math time. Math Madness book set by Science, Naturally will help you energize your math lessons as your students rediscover why this subject can be such fun. -- Amy Milcic, Homeschooler and Blogger Educents, October 2016 Math Mystery Book Review: A Solution for Kids Dealing with Intense Math AnxietyOne mom finds an engaging way to teach math to her son with math anxiety.My son suffers from intense math anxiety. It takes over quickly, and shuts down his ability to learn and think rationally. We've been working on his math anxiety for two years now and, now at age 10, we are finally making progress. I've discovered the secret to dodging his anxiety is to present him with puzzles, mysteries and real life situations where math is critical to finding the answers.We were both excited to test out this math mystery book. The 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math book is extremely approachable, readable and accessible. The math concepts are explained in very simple terms and the short story format allows it to be used in quick little bit sized moments. Approachable Book for Kids With Math AnxietyMath books with open-ended solve equations and multiple choice are intimidating and anxiety-inducing for my son. The story format of the Math Mystery Book is very easy to read and exciting for my son who has such intense math anxiety.My son felt the stories were extremely real and relatable. He could see himself in the situations the characters were facing in the book and it gave him the opportunity to see how math integrates into our daily lives. He also found the little mysteries fun to solve and if he got hung up on a problem he could just flip the page and learn from the characters how they solved the problem.This is a book my son will happily just sit and read for fun.A Math Book Easy for Parents - No Prep!I really enjoy the layout of the Math Mystery book. Each mystery is a short story. On the first page, kids are presented with the characters and their situation that kids use math to solve, but you are not given the answer on the first page. Flip to the next page and discover how the characters use math to solve the problem. I also really appreciate how the answers are on the next page, rather than having to look up page numbers and search through the book to find the answers. Parent-Approved Supplemental Math Lessons There is nothing more satisfying than watching your child face a challenge and say, I got this!"The 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math book is fantastic for upper elementary, students with math anxiety and those looking for a fun and educational book of short stories.The 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math book is great for math confident children, those that are more advanced in their math studies and students who love trivia.Together these books make a fantastic resource pack for children to learn ways that math is part of our daily lives. By presenting math as a way to solve daily problems, kids can see how becoming a math MacGyver will equipment them to solve any mystery that comes their way. -- Shelley, Blogger STEAM Powered Family, October 2016