Less Than Zero

By Stuart J. Murphy

Book Overview

"Kids, young and old, fall in love with math when they see how real-life and effortless it becomes thanks to these books." --Kimberly D. Mueller, Ed.D., First Grade Teacher, Ashbrook School, Lumberton NJ

Less Than Zero is perfect for teaching negative numbers to second, third, and fourth graders. Perry the Penguin needs 9 clams to buy an ice scooter--but he's not very good at saving. As Perry earns, spends, finds, loses, and borrows clams, a simple line graph demonstrates the concept of negative numbers.

Kids will love the story and the illustrations by Frank Remkiewicz. Parents and educators will love how the story and pictures make understanding the math concepts a breeze--as well as the concrete examples of how math works. The book contains activities for adults to do with kids to extend math into their own lives.

Math skills are life skills, and the MathStart series supports success!

This award-winning series by Stuart J. Murphy teaches math through stories and visual models63 books divided into three levels with 21 books in eachFun activities kids will love are included to help parents and teachers emphasize the lessonsEngaging and relatable stories, with each story revolving around practical applications of the math concept presentedLively art from top-notch illustratorsCharts and other visual representations help children understand how the math works and promote deeper comprehension

MathStart's unique combination of stories, illustrations, and visual models helps teachers and parents in the teaching of math and provides all children with the opportunity to succeed.

The math concepts taught in MathStart books conform to state and national standards. Level 1 is Pre-K-Kindergarten; Level 2 is Grades 1-3; Level 3 is Grades 2-4. The series follows math topics across grades so there is a foundational path to learning that runs through the levels.

Help kids with their math skills plus their reading skills with the engaging and fun MathStart series!

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060001267
• ISBN13: 9780060001261
• Release Date: August 2003
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 9.9" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 6 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 5

Customer Reviews

cute math story

Perry the Penguin is trying to save enough money for a ice scooter. He needs 9 ?clams?. He has none. Him mom pays him 4 clams for triming the ice in front of the house. He decides to make a graph. He charts out the money he earns on the graph. Then his friend invites him to the ice circus. Perry learns that it cost 5 clams. His friend loans him the extra clam he needs. He has several more encounters for earning and spending his clams, always charting his progress. He ends up in the negative a few times. But in the end he works out a way to get in ice scooter. I liked the way negative nubers were introduced in the book. The pictures kept my son?s attention. I also liked the extra math activites at the end of the book. This is a great math teaching tool.