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Do The Math #2
The Writing on the Wall
Eighth grade, like algebra, has become pretty complicated for Tess. For one thing, there are the patterns she's noticing everywhere—like how charming-on-the-outside Richard keeps playing scary pranks on her, and how annoying copycat Lynn always has to follow what everyone else is doing. Then there's the pattern of graffiti that keeps appearing on the wall by her school—could those numbers be a code meant for Tess? Is it up to her to find out what they mean? And most importantly, if Damien keeps up with his pattern of waiting for her after school, does it mean he likes her? Or is that just a coincidental system? Tess looks for formulas to help her figure it all out, but she's afraid there may be none. Sometimes you have to make up your own solutions. Sometimes, you just have to risk it.
224 pages, Library Binding
First published June 24, 2008
18 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Lichtman
8 books7 followersWendy Lichtman writes personal essays for the Washington Post, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Good Housekeeping, among other national publications. She holds a degree in mathematics and has tutored public-school students in algebra for the past several years. When she decided to write about a teen realizing that some questions have more than one right answer, algebra, with its unknowns and variables, seemed a perfect metaphor. Wendy Lichtman lives in Berkeley, California. (from the publisher's website)"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
December 9, 2010
this book is about how a girl named Tess has to uncover a code on the wall. this book would be really good for people who like math like the author who wrote this. Some of the problems in the book i didnt understand but i guess i learned something new. this girl gets obsessed with trying to figure out who is writing this stuff on the wall in code word. she gets to into it that she does not really think about what she is doing until the consequences fall on her. at the end when she figures out who really did it she would have never thought that it would have been that person. this book is a really good and it teaches people a lesson in life because this what happened in the book can actually happen to you in real life. so i give this book a 4 stars.
March 12, 2012
Wendy Lichtman's books should be required reading for middle school girls. She has a way of empowering girls with math and logical thinking skills, yet allows them to still become whoever they want. This sequel to SECRETS, LIES, AND ALGEBRA was every bit as good as the first book. Please, Wendy, write another!
February 25, 2018
The math is awesome. I really enjoyed watching the world from a mathlete prospective. Giving her friends math symbols to illustrate their personalities was clever. The equations were complicated but interesting and I liked solving the puzzles with Tess. Unfortunately, the plot needed a lot of work. Her friends either knew too much or too little. There didn't seem a real reason for the grandfather to even be a part of the story and her crush was complacent at best. She got in trouble in the end for basically being smarter than the adults.
Bibliotherapy: for math addicts, for those who need a win
Bibliotherapy: for math addicts, for those who need a win
April 11, 2018
horrible, and what 6th grade student does that kind of math ? no substance and poorly written
December 8, 2020
8th grader Tess faces her personal limits and a moral dilemma when she encounters a mystery tailored perfectly to her favorite skill- math. This novel is exciting and introduces math concepts that can excite even the least math-interested reader.
I liked this book because it is an introduction to new math concepts and an easy-to-follow, enjoyable story. The characters are enjoyable and the conflict comes to a satisfactory conclusion.
I would recommend this to 6th or 7th graders. The book is not a difficult read, but it does deal with illegal themes and the consequences that follow.
This book is blandly lacking in diversity. The characters are not culturally connected in any manner, and the setting is indistinct.
I liked this book because it is an introduction to new math concepts and an easy-to-follow, enjoyable story. The characters are enjoyable and the conflict comes to a satisfactory conclusion.
I would recommend this to 6th or 7th graders. The book is not a difficult read, but it does deal with illegal themes and the consequences that follow.
This book is blandly lacking in diversity. The characters are not culturally connected in any manner, and the setting is indistinct.
March 8, 2018
Tess is the main character. She was told a story about a mystery writer who vandalized the wall to write secrets, until certain people began to figure out the message. Tess doesn't believe it at first, but then she sees numbers on the wall of a church. She tries to figure out the code and the book shows the journey Tess takes. I enjoyed this book because it included mystery, suspense, and it kept me pulled into the book and wanting to continue to read it. Also, this is a pretty fast reading book. I loved the fact that it included algebra throughout the story and gave us chances as readers, to figure out pieces of the book. This was a great book and it was very interesting.
March 12, 2022
Didn’t know this book was a part of a series but I think it was just fine on its own. If you’re looking for a middle grade, easy read, cozy mystery book, I think this would just be good. I was engaged with the mystery of who did what and why did it, tho I do think that some characters are not needed in the story such as Lynn bc I really can’t understand why would she be needed here lol.
December 4, 2017
Cute sequel. Read for math extra credit program. About a girl who sees the world through math (graphs her relationships, labels people with math symbols). She tries to solve a math puzzle written in graffiti.
April 5, 2020
For me, the story just didn’t engage me. I hope it does for someone else.
Also, I didn’t realize it was book 2 of a series. The outer covering does not show it is part of a series, that I can see.
Also, I didn’t realize it was book 2 of a series. The outer covering does not show it is part of a series, that I can see.
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June 19, 2024Great book.
February 21, 2018
In the book The Writing on the Wall by Wendy Lichtman, Tess finds out that someone has been writing on a wall behind the school. This is illegal and whoever is caught doing it will get in trouble. There was also a fire in the computer lab. As time goes by, Tess finds out who started the fire and why. She also finds out who is writing on the wall. She doesn’t tell anyone who has been writing on the wall because she is also writing on the wall to.
The book was really good because it explained some math concepts that were hard for me to understand. It also talked about how some things come with consequences. This book was boring sometimes to. It didn’t explain everything that I wanted to know. The book makes me feel smart because when it talks about some math things, I can understand them because It explains them. I like how the book is presented because it shows the world that you don’t have to be like everybody else. You could be your own person and that’s good enough because everyone should respect you for being yourself.
Whatever is going on in one’s life, it gets better. In the book Tess is caught writing on the wall and has to do some extra work. But her friends help out with it so that it isn't as much work. Tess also can’t go to the math competition. This is really hard for her because she knows that she can help them win. But she gets over it and her math teacher still lets her be on the team even though she did something wrong. Sometimes one just has to rely on others to help themselves.
The book was really good because it explained some math concepts that were hard for me to understand. It also talked about how some things come with consequences. This book was boring sometimes to. It didn’t explain everything that I wanted to know. The book makes me feel smart because when it talks about some math things, I can understand them because It explains them. I like how the book is presented because it shows the world that you don’t have to be like everybody else. You could be your own person and that’s good enough because everyone should respect you for being yourself.
Whatever is going on in one’s life, it gets better. In the book Tess is caught writing on the wall and has to do some extra work. But her friends help out with it so that it isn't as much work. Tess also can’t go to the math competition. This is really hard for her because she knows that she can help them win. But she gets over it and her math teacher still lets her be on the team even though she did something wrong. Sometimes one just has to rely on others to help themselves.
October 2, 2013
*****Spoiler Alert*****
Why did Tess write on the wall?Tess wrote on the wall because she wants to know who keeps writing on the wall with math symbols.My favorite part was when Damien asked Tess if she wanted to hang out. The genre of the book is realistic fiction,the author is really creative because he describes Tess about what she is like and about her and that's really creative. I really liked this book because it's mysterious and I really like mystery books.
The setting of this story is during school and after school and at Tess's house,Tess has to figure out who is the person that kept writing on the church wall.Tess the main character really likes math (algebra).Tess wanted to figure out who was writing on the wall but when she bought paints to write on the wall and left them in her locker, she got so she got suspended and wasn't able to go to school then when she came back from her suspension she had figured out who the person that was writing on the wall was. This is a person vs. self because Tess has to figure out who the person writing on the wall is. Tess is a really smart she has a crush on a boy named Damien. Tess lives with her parents and she has no siblings. Her best friends are Sammy,Lucia and Miranda. She has this boy that wants to get back at her because she had that boy named Richard suspended. Tess has to deal with a lot of problems.
The theme of the story is bravery because Tess is brave enough to find out who keeps writing on the wall. Tess has to go through hard things cause she doesn't want to get caught so she puts one of her friends to be a lookout for her so she can write on the wall. "The Writing on the Wall" is a good title for the book because the title is about the book and it gives you a prediction of what the story is going to be about. I understand why Tess wants to figure out who's writing on the the wall cause she's curious and wants to find out what the symbols mean. I was surprised when Lucia told Tess the truth about who was writing on the wall. I thought the ending of the book was going to be boring but it was actually really surprising because Tess found out who had written on the church wall. In the book it says "Its cool, Sammy said , turning back to Miranda's hair, "but it's also dangerous." True I said, "but for me it's sort of like what Miranda said-when I see an interesting math problem it's like a puzzle that I have to figure out." It's amazing how Tess isn't scared of writing on the wall to figure out who's the other person that writes on it.I can't really compare myself to this book cause I have never been in Tess's point of view so I'm not sure.
This book is also like Secret Lies and Algebra they're both written by the same author.Some of the characters are the same from the other book but some are new. I liked this book better because I think it had more action than the other one so that's why I think it's better than Secret Lies and Algebra.
Overall I thought the book was really good cause it had some mystery in it and surprising moments in it so it was really good. The rate that I'm going to give this book is 8 because liked it but it wasn't my favorite but I didn't like it cause it's the type of books that I like to read.I would recommend this book to middle schoolers because this book is about a middle school girl and I think it's says some things that you can learn from the book. This was a good book and I especially liked the ending when Tess finally finds out who the person writing on the wall was.
Why did Tess write on the wall?Tess wrote on the wall because she wants to know who keeps writing on the wall with math symbols.My favorite part was when Damien asked Tess if she wanted to hang out. The genre of the book is realistic fiction,the author is really creative because he describes Tess about what she is like and about her and that's really creative. I really liked this book because it's mysterious and I really like mystery books.
The setting of this story is during school and after school and at Tess's house,Tess has to figure out who is the person that kept writing on the church wall.Tess the main character really likes math (algebra).Tess wanted to figure out who was writing on the wall but when she bought paints to write on the wall and left them in her locker, she got so she got suspended and wasn't able to go to school then when she came back from her suspension she had figured out who the person that was writing on the wall was. This is a person vs. self because Tess has to figure out who the person writing on the wall is. Tess is a really smart she has a crush on a boy named Damien. Tess lives with her parents and she has no siblings. Her best friends are Sammy,Lucia and Miranda. She has this boy that wants to get back at her because she had that boy named Richard suspended. Tess has to deal with a lot of problems.
The theme of the story is bravery because Tess is brave enough to find out who keeps writing on the wall. Tess has to go through hard things cause she doesn't want to get caught so she puts one of her friends to be a lookout for her so she can write on the wall. "The Writing on the Wall" is a good title for the book because the title is about the book and it gives you a prediction of what the story is going to be about. I understand why Tess wants to figure out who's writing on the the wall cause she's curious and wants to find out what the symbols mean. I was surprised when Lucia told Tess the truth about who was writing on the wall. I thought the ending of the book was going to be boring but it was actually really surprising because Tess found out who had written on the church wall. In the book it says "Its cool, Sammy said , turning back to Miranda's hair, "but it's also dangerous." True I said, "but for me it's sort of like what Miranda said-when I see an interesting math problem it's like a puzzle that I have to figure out." It's amazing how Tess isn't scared of writing on the wall to figure out who's the other person that writes on it.I can't really compare myself to this book cause I have never been in Tess's point of view so I'm not sure.
This book is also like Secret Lies and Algebra they're both written by the same author.Some of the characters are the same from the other book but some are new. I liked this book better because I think it had more action than the other one so that's why I think it's better than Secret Lies and Algebra.
Overall I thought the book was really good cause it had some mystery in it and surprising moments in it so it was really good. The rate that I'm going to give this book is 8 because liked it but it wasn't my favorite but I didn't like it cause it's the type of books that I like to read.I would recommend this book to middle schoolers because this book is about a middle school girl and I think it's says some things that you can learn from the book. This was a good book and I especially liked the ending when Tess finally finds out who the person writing on the wall was.
August 1, 2009
Tess isn’t really looking forward to her second semester of 8th grade. After making enemies last semester with Richard, Tess knows that life won’t be enjoyable. Her suspicions are confirmed when she finds that Richard tore entries out of her journal, stole her backpack and even squirted cranberry juice on her sweatshirt. The only things Tess can look forward to each day is hanging out with her friends and going to Algebra, her favorite class of the day. On the way to school one day Tess notices a set of math problems painted on the big graffiti wall behind a nearby church and her math obsessed brain starts to churn. Could these problems possibly be a code? When there is a fire in the computer lab at school Tess definitely thinks she’s onto something and hopes to crack the graffiti code. Even though she knows she could get in trouble, will Tess risk writing on the wall to solve the problem?
First of all I was a little skeptical of the book. While it was cool that Tess was a math geek, like me, I wasn’t sure I would like the book because it appealed to a younger audience and I hadn’t read the first book in the series, Secrets, Lies and Algebra. Wow was I proved wrong! I enjoyed every aspect of the book and ended up really, really liking it. It was completely unnecessary to read the first book and very easy to relate to Tess. I was always anxious to read what was coming next and wasn’t able to predict anything. I especially enjoyed how real the novel was. The ending wasn’t perfect, the characters weren’t exempt from certain situations, and the characters were completely enjoyable. I highly recommend this book for all reader, but I think middle grade readers will particularly enjoy Writing on the Walls. All in all a really good book that will satisfy a hunger for mystery, humor, a little romance, or maybe all three.
First of all I was a little skeptical of the book. While it was cool that Tess was a math geek, like me, I wasn’t sure I would like the book because it appealed to a younger audience and I hadn’t read the first book in the series, Secrets, Lies and Algebra. Wow was I proved wrong! I enjoyed every aspect of the book and ended up really, really liking it. It was completely unnecessary to read the first book and very easy to relate to Tess. I was always anxious to read what was coming next and wasn’t able to predict anything. I especially enjoyed how real the novel was. The ending wasn’t perfect, the characters weren’t exempt from certain situations, and the characters were completely enjoyable. I highly recommend this book for all reader, but I think middle grade readers will particularly enjoy Writing on the Walls. All in all a really good book that will satisfy a hunger for mystery, humor, a little romance, or maybe all three.
April 22, 2008
Tess is just your average math loving eighth-grader until she becomes a little too interested in some graffiti at her school. Tess’s friend Sammy convinces her that the blue numbers form a sort of code, and Tess becomes determined to crack it. Unfortunately, this requires a lot of lying and some vandalizing on Tess’s part. But Tess is only concerned with finding out the message and doesn’t think about the consequences.
I found it interesting how Tess compared people and life to various math problems, but I could see the logic in it. For example, Tess’s friend Miranda’s math symbol is |m|, which always has a positive value, just like Miranda always sees the good in everything. But what I appreciated most about this math-obsessed girl was how she realized that her system of comparing everything to math was flawed because not everything in life can be figured out using simple steps and formulas.
I will admit that I was surprised that The Writing on the Wall was a mystery book; I thought it would be about some math geek who’s having a hard time in middle school. But I’m glad that math and mystery were combined to create this novel, which I highly enjoyed reading. Tess’s character is funny and very logical (in all things math), something I can appreciate and relate too. I also liked how Tess seemed to know how to do the right thing but was clueless in others, such as the world of boys.
If you are looking for a light and fast read, The Writing on the Wall is a good choice. I recommend it for younger readers, but even math lovers in higher grades will enjoy this book. Look for it when it’s released in July.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
I found it interesting how Tess compared people and life to various math problems, but I could see the logic in it. For example, Tess’s friend Miranda’s math symbol is |m|, which always has a positive value, just like Miranda always sees the good in everything. But what I appreciated most about this math-obsessed girl was how she realized that her system of comparing everything to math was flawed because not everything in life can be figured out using simple steps and formulas.
I will admit that I was surprised that The Writing on the Wall was a mystery book; I thought it would be about some math geek who’s having a hard time in middle school. But I’m glad that math and mystery were combined to create this novel, which I highly enjoyed reading. Tess’s character is funny and very logical (in all things math), something I can appreciate and relate too. I also liked how Tess seemed to know how to do the right thing but was clueless in others, such as the world of boys.
If you are looking for a light and fast read, The Writing on the Wall is a good choice. I recommend it for younger readers, but even math lovers in higher grades will enjoy this book. Look for it when it’s released in July.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
November 15, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Tess, lover of everything math, is back for another adventure in DO THE MATH: THE WRITING ON THE WALL. Things pick up right where they left off in DO THE MATH: SECRETS, LIES, AND ALGEBRA. Richard still considers Tess a snitch and is treating her badly, and Tess is still fascinated with math and solving mysteries.
This time Tess is determined to solve the mystery of who started the fire in Mr. Z's computer classroom. Even though everyone hates Mr. Z, it would be nice to find the culprit.
Clues seem to be mysteriously appearing in the graffiti on the back wall of the church located near the school. Tess notices it because some of the artistic patterns left by the graffiti artists involves numbers; specifically, equations that include four 4's. When the equations are solved, Tess discovers they represent letters of the alphabet, and when she notices the first set of 4's spells out ARSON, she is hooked.
The adventure leads Tess down a path of crime as she joins the graffiti vandals and makes her own mark on the church wall. Being suspended and grounded would normally stop most young detectives, but Tess proves that her talent for problem-solving can overcome just about anything.
Even though author Wendy Lichtman includes mathematical equations throughout her story (ugh!), she manages to create suspense and drama that will grab most middle grade readers. She uses realistic characters and typical middle school situations that are entertaining and educational at the same time.
Tess, lover of everything math, is back for another adventure in DO THE MATH: THE WRITING ON THE WALL. Things pick up right where they left off in DO THE MATH: SECRETS, LIES, AND ALGEBRA. Richard still considers Tess a snitch and is treating her badly, and Tess is still fascinated with math and solving mysteries.
This time Tess is determined to solve the mystery of who started the fire in Mr. Z's computer classroom. Even though everyone hates Mr. Z, it would be nice to find the culprit.
Clues seem to be mysteriously appearing in the graffiti on the back wall of the church located near the school. Tess notices it because some of the artistic patterns left by the graffiti artists involves numbers; specifically, equations that include four 4's. When the equations are solved, Tess discovers they represent letters of the alphabet, and when she notices the first set of 4's spells out ARSON, she is hooked.
The adventure leads Tess down a path of crime as she joins the graffiti vandals and makes her own mark on the church wall. Being suspended and grounded would normally stop most young detectives, but Tess proves that her talent for problem-solving can overcome just about anything.
Even though author Wendy Lichtman includes mathematical equations throughout her story (ugh!), she manages to create suspense and drama that will grab most middle grade readers. She uses realistic characters and typical middle school situations that are entertaining and educational at the same time.
February 19, 2010
I hate to admit how much I liked this book. It is probably a 4+...or 5. It is permeated with math, which is why I gave it 4 stars. (I don't like math. I either have a math phobia or I am simply not smart enough. I know that I am offending many of my friends and relatives with this admission. Gladys told me once she loves math because there is only one right answer...which, coincedentally, is the exact reason why I don't like math. I spent an entire year of Algebra staring out the window and watching the seasons change...When I was in Geometry I explained every single chapter in detail to my friend, Joe, who didn't get it. Then I always got a worse grade on the test than he did. Fair?...I think not...but I digress) This book really nails what it is like to be in the 8th grade. (It also has a very supportive and likeable Grandpa.) The kids in the books are kids I would like to know. Suspense, mystery, romance...this book has it all. Plus, since it is from a math perspective you know that all the loose ends will be all tied up in a neat solution. My favorite quote from the book: "When you get a punishment...,it's supposed to make you change, but I don't think that's true. I think people change for other reasons, like if you feel really stupid about what you did, or if you feel awful because you hurt someone else--I think those are the kinds of things that could make you decide you wanted to be different." This book is for all 8th grade girls so that they will develop a lifetime love of the subject I despise.(less)
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October 26, 2009I found this book while trying to find a good math novel. I was really hoping to find one more for a highschool reading level, but this one sounded good. This book is at a middle school reading level and it is about a 8th grade girl, her obsession with math and how that effects her daily life. It is a really cute book and was a really easy read. I could see this book being used in a middle school classroom, the only problem is that it is geared more toward girl readers then boys. I would probabably use two different books then, but it is a great book for young girls to read since math is sterotypically a guys field. The gist of the book is that there is a graffiti wall across from the school that the students are suppose to stay away from. One day a math puzzle appears at the bottom corner. Tess (the main Charcter) is unable to quite thinking about it untill she figures it out and then breakes the school rules and the law and writes her answer on the wall. The puzzle ends up being the answer to who started a fire in their school about a week before. Tess finally figures out the mystery, but not without consequences. The whole book really puts middle school math ideas into everyday life so it is easier to understand and it is kind of funny to see a graph explain why students bully or flirt or catch a room on fire.
Currently Reading
October 30, 2014The book I read for the month of October was “The Writing On The Wall.” I thought it was actually a great book, I got really into it. It didn’t confused me like the last book I read. It is about this girl, her name is Tess. She’s really good at math and when I mean really good, I mean really really good. She’s on the mathematics team and the school newspaper committee. Her two friends are Miranda and Sammy. She is enemies with this guy named Richard, he does terrible things to Tess for revenge. He cheated on a math test and Tess told the teacher that he did it and he got suspend. Tess, Miranda and Sammy find the church at the back on the school and it has graffti on the wall. Then something weird happens. There is a fire in the computer lab and Tess tries to be James Bond or a secret spy and tries to find who start it. She starts writing on the wall, with her friends trying to figure out who has done it with math problems. But she doesn’t realize that writing on walls (or graffti) is vandalism. She gets suspend for a total of 4 days and can’t go to the math competition. But later the new girl Lucia says the she has done and that’s basically the end of the book. I would recommed this book if you like myserty novels. I have the say the theme of this book is “don’t get too carried away or you’ll end up in a mess.”
March 3, 2015
The Writing On The Wall
Wendy Lichtman
Tess isn't really looking forward to her second semester of 8th grade. After making enemies last semester with Richard, Tess knows that life at school will be kind of hard.. she knows when she finds that Richard tore pages out of her journal, stole her backpack and even squirted cranberry juice on her sweatshirt. The only things Tess can look forward to each day is hanging out with her friends and going to math class , her favorite class of the day. On the way to school one day Tess saw a set of math problems painted on the big graffiti wall behind a nearby church. Could these problems possibly be a code she thought. When there is a fire in the computer lab at school Tess definitely thinks she’s onto something and hopes to crack the graffiti code. I enjoyed all the plot and theme of the book plus the characters made it even better. I recommend this book for all reader, but I think my age group will enjoy Writing on the Walls.out of this book it is a really good book that has a lot of mystery, humor, and little romance, or maybe all three.
Wendy Lichtman
Tess isn't really looking forward to her second semester of 8th grade. After making enemies last semester with Richard, Tess knows that life at school will be kind of hard.. she knows when she finds that Richard tore pages out of her journal, stole her backpack and even squirted cranberry juice on her sweatshirt. The only things Tess can look forward to each day is hanging out with her friends and going to math class , her favorite class of the day. On the way to school one day Tess saw a set of math problems painted on the big graffiti wall behind a nearby church. Could these problems possibly be a code she thought. When there is a fire in the computer lab at school Tess definitely thinks she’s onto something and hopes to crack the graffiti code. I enjoyed all the plot and theme of the book plus the characters made it even better. I recommend this book for all reader, but I think my age group will enjoy Writing on the Walls.out of this book it is a really good book that has a lot of mystery, humor, and little romance, or maybe all three.
November 2, 2009
8th grade math whiz Tess can't resist a puzzle--which is why the "Four 4s" graffiti on the back of the church intrigues her so much. First solving the equations and then cracking the code, Tess gets drawn into investigating a classroom fire that had occurred a few weeks earlier. But her investigations lead her into some shady doings herself, resulting in a number of consequences her number-based brain never anticipated.
This is the sequel to an earlier book I haven't read, but it give a little background on what happened in the first book, as that situation isn't fully resolved yet. The gimmick of the math problems is incorporated well enough into the plot, but is still a little clunky. None of the characters are all that dynamic (one can hope that happened in the first book?). The heart on the cover and the blindingly pink endpapers make this a girlier pick than it needs to be, and the 8th-grade characters read more like 5th or 6th grade. This isn't a series I'll be adding to my library collection, but it might work somewhere else.
This is the sequel to an earlier book I haven't read, but it give a little background on what happened in the first book, as that situation isn't fully resolved yet. The gimmick of the math problems is incorporated well enough into the plot, but is still a little clunky. None of the characters are all that dynamic (one can hope that happened in the first book?). The heart on the cover and the blindingly pink endpapers make this a girlier pick than it needs to be, and the 8th-grade characters read more like 5th or 6th grade. This isn't a series I'll be adding to my library collection, but it might work somewhere else.
July 29, 2008
This is better than the first Do the Math book because the action focused all around school rather than being split. After returning from winter break, Tess has adjusted to algebra, but there's a new mystery - someone is leaving graffiti messages on a wall near the school and only Tess can understand them. Who is trying to reach Tess and what are they trying to tell her? Tess is an interesting character because she frequently doesn't do the right thing, but the choices she makes are easy to understand. School bullying gets a realistic look here as well since big man on campus Richard is still messing with Tess and she refuses to tell any adults. The adults in Tess' world are portrayed as fully human as well, complete with faults of their own. A solid outing for middle-school students.
January 29, 2015
The Writing On The Wall
The writing on the wall is a really good book about a girl named Tess. Tess and her two friends ( Miranda and Sammy ) discover some 4’s on a church wall. Tess discovers that the 4’s are from the 4 4’s problem. The 4 4’s problem is a math problem where you have to get the answers 1-100 using exactly 4 4’s. Tess makes the decision to write on the wall with paint sticks. She writes in code to try to figure out who is writing on the wall. Tess gets into a conversation with the person and finds out that they know who started a fire in the computer room at her school a few days ago. Throughout the book, Tess realizes that graffiti is not the way to do things and gives her behavior a lot more thought. I recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery, excitement, comedy, and friendship.
The writing on the wall is a really good book about a girl named Tess. Tess and her two friends ( Miranda and Sammy ) discover some 4’s on a church wall. Tess discovers that the 4’s are from the 4 4’s problem. The 4 4’s problem is a math problem where you have to get the answers 1-100 using exactly 4 4’s. Tess makes the decision to write on the wall with paint sticks. She writes in code to try to figure out who is writing on the wall. Tess gets into a conversation with the person and finds out that they know who started a fire in the computer room at her school a few days ago. Throughout the book, Tess realizes that graffiti is not the way to do things and gives her behavior a lot more thought. I recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery, excitement, comedy, and friendship.
May 15, 2010
I really enjoyed this one. The conversations and the issues were very authentic and I loved the way the author wrote because it felt like she really was a middle school student. The character development was solid and I liked that even thought this was only 216 pages long and it was a sequel to a book I hadn't even read, I actually got to know all of the characters. I liked Tess's voice and unique personality, including her love of math. I love the way the math stuff naturally became a part of the story and, as someone who also loves math, I really enjoyed this!
A middle grades novel that's actually a page-turner! Check it out.
A middle grades novel that's actually a page-turner! Check it out.
May 7, 2015
This book was really good i really enjoyed it, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoy reading normal books about normal people. This book, The Writing on the Wall by Wendy Lichtman,is about a girl named Tess who is in 8th grade and she has had enough. There is a kid named Richard who is always playing tricks on her and there's an annoying kid Lynn who is always copycatting Tess and she is through with it. She is liked by a boy named Damien and she thinks he is okay, And there is always some graffiti on the building near her school and she is seeing patterns in everything. She takes risks she never did before....Would You?
November 9, 2008
Tess is an 8th grade math whiz and loves figuring things out. When someone tags a wall near her school with a math code, Tess can't rest until she's cracked it, but what she finds leads her to investigate a case of arson that's occurred at her school.
The math puzzles were pretty neat and I can see this book appealing to kids who like to play around with numbers. There's not a great deal of character development and the kids seemed way younger than 8th graders to me. I never felt like I got to know Tess, even though the book was told in first person.
The math puzzles were pretty neat and I can see this book appealing to kids who like to play around with numbers. There's not a great deal of character development and the kids seemed way younger than 8th graders to me. I never felt like I got to know Tess, even though the book was told in first person.
January 15, 2012
I came across this as I was shelving books at the library, and thought I'd read it to see if my math-loving grandson would like it. It's aimed at an age group perhaps a couple years beyond him, and the main character is a girl named Tess. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading it in an afternoon. Tess is not only on the math team at her junior high (a number of problems from her classwork and competition are illustrated), but she also tends to analyze her relationships and her activities using mathematical thinking. A fun book.
May 20, 2013
My favorite book I read was, The Writing on the Wall. The book is about a girl named Tess and she loves math, and she reminds me of me also because I also love math. And so in her neighborhood someone has been writing number patterns on the church wall, and then she spot a pattern in the numbers and tries to decode it. She even wrote on the wall to respond to the message, and she also suspects on different people that she thinks who did it.
March 12, 2014
In this exciting sequel Tess has new challenges that she has to face. One them includes what the graffiti on the church wall means. Another is how Richard-oh-so-charming is threatening her trying to get her to snitch to show her “real” identity. Tess wants answers to the writing on the wall, the answer on how to deal with Richard. In order to get her answers she uses what she’s knows and learns about the personalities of her peers and what she knows about math.
November 16, 2008
A series about a girl obsessed with math - now I've seen everything! I probably would not have started this but it was in my office and I didn't want to get stranded on the bus without a book...
One of the flaws about this book is that it isn't exciting enough for modern 8th graders. I will try it on a 4th grader.
One of the flaws about this book is that it isn't exciting enough for modern 8th graders. I will try it on a 4th grader.
April 11, 2010
The book, was cool how they used the four fours.
IM in the eighth grade, and doesnt understand, the four fours.
Surprised, people doo...
Anyways, Wendy Lichtman sure did a good job putting herself into the girls shoes.
And, the problems (fire, arson) happened at my school, too! When I was in the sixth grade... it was lunch for me than...
Anyways... I liked it.
IM in the eighth grade, and doesnt understand, the four fours.
Surprised, people doo...
Anyways, Wendy Lichtman sure did a good job putting herself into the girls shoes.
And, the problems (fire, arson) happened at my school, too! When I was in the sixth grade... it was lunch for me than...
Anyways... I liked it.
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