Want to enjoy Mathical books with the children around you? Feeling uncertain about guiding them through the math-related parts of the book?
These reading guides are designed for parents, librarians, after-school caregivers, and educators of all stripes. You don’t have to be a math whiz to enjoy exploring math with the kids in your life. Just plunge in, and see where the story takes you!
Each reading guide includes both math-centric and narrative activities to start discussions and activities with one child, a handful of kids, or an entire classroom.
Additional Spanish language guides for many titles for younger readers are being added in Summer 2024.
Let us know how it goes using #mathicalbooks on Twitter! We look forward to hearing from you!
EARLY MATH PROJECT READING GUIDES
This set of reading guides were created by the The Early Math Project, which promotes awareness of the importance of math and science in early education (birth to age eight), provides tools to parents and educators, and collaborates with agencies and organizations working to advance math and science learning.
- Reading Guide to Kitty & Cat: Bent Out of Shape by Mirka Hokkanen
- Reading Guide to Friends Beyond Measure: A Story Told with Infographics by Lalena Fisher
- Reading Guide to Friend of Numbers: The Life of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan by Priya Narayanan
- Reading Guide to Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno
- Reading Guide to Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke [English & Spanish]
- Reading Guide to Bird Count by Susan Edwards Richmond
- Reading Guide to Have You Seen My Dragon? by Steve Light
- Reading Guide to Press Here by Hervé Tullet
- Reading Guide to The Animals Would Not Sleep! by Sara Levine [English & Spanish]
- Reading Guide to The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Reading Guide to Up to My Knees by Grace Lin [English & Spanish]
- Reading Guide to What Will Fit? by Grace Lin [English & Spanish]
Math Storybook Guides for Early Childhood (Pre-K and Grades K-2)
This set of reading guides for the Mathical Book Prize are created by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) and Development and Research in Early Math Education (DREME), a network of scholars across the country who collaborate to advance math teaching and learning in the early years (birth to age 8). They are available for free download on the Mathical Books website, as well as on DREME’s Reading Together guide on their Family Math website.
Download these reading guides as PDF files below. These guides are © Stanford University, DREME Network.
See upper right corner of guides for suggested age ranges. Updated Spring 2023.
Marta! Big and Small (Jen Arena, illustrated by Angela Dominguez)
Uma Wimple Charts Her House (Reif Larsen and Ben Gibson)
Bird Count (Susan Edwards Richmond, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman)
Lia & Luís: Who Has More? (Ana Crespo, illustrated by Giovana Medeiros)
One Is a Piñata (Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by John Parra)
Sheep Won’t Sleep (Judy Cox, illustrated by Nina Cuneo)
The Animals Would Not Sleep! (Sara Levine, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns)
Zero the Hero (Joan Holub, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld)
Baby Goes to Market (Atinuke, illustrated by Angela Brooksbank)
Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant (Songju Ma Daemicke, illustrated by Christina Wald)
Count On Me (Miguel Tanco)
Counting on Katherine (Helaine Becker, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk)
Is 2 a Lot? (Annie Watson, illustrated by Rebecca Evans)
Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain (Cheryl Bardoe, illustrated by Barbara McClintock)
Pigeon Math (Asia Citro, illustrated by Richard Watson)
The Girl with a Mind for Math (Julia Finley Mosca, illustrated by Daniel Rieley)
When Sophie Thinks She Can’t (Molly Bang, illustrated by Ann Stern)
Exploring Math through Stories Reading Guides (PreK-12)
First Book Reading Guides
This set of reading guides for the Mathical Book Prize were created by MSRI and First Book. They are available for free download on the Mathical Books website, as well as on the First Book Marketplace.
First Book is a national nonprofit social enterprise that provides books and educational materials for educators serving children in need.
Grades K-2
One Big Pair of Underwear (Laura Gehl, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld)
Grades 3-5
Really Big Numbers (Richard Evan Schwartz) — This reading guide is geared for elementary students.
Grades 6-8
Really Big Numbers (Richard Evan Schwartz) — This reading guide is geared for middle schoolers.
Grades 9-12
Genius: The Game (Leopoldo Gout) — This reading guide is geared for middle school through early high school level.
