Math and Magic in Wonderland

by Lilac Mohr

Galileo, Newton, Descartes, and Pascal too,
All followed rabbit trails that led to something new.

Lulu and Elizabeth are two girls who love to play with numbers, words, and (on occasion) toy swords. Join them on a grand adventure, where classic math and logic riddles lead the way through a world inspired by Lewis Carroll's poetry.

Filled with engaging puzzles, tidbits about famous mathematicians, and a dash of humor, this interactive book is sure to inspire adults and children, alike, to follow their own rabbit trails into the magical world of mathematics.

Genres: Mathematics, Stem, Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction

254 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2016

About the author

Lilac Mohr is a software engineer and mother of five. She enjoys creating products that help children develop problem-solving skills. Lilac holds a B.S. degree in Computer Information Systems and an M.S. degree in Statistics.

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love puzzles - jigsaw, word or math ones - but it was too much to manipulate with the “play alongs” in the book. I can either read the book as is or stop every few pages and manipulate materials. That lost the anticipation I had with the book originally.

[Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about 2 girls named Lulu and Elisabeth
where they go on a adventure but the only way to
stay and keep going in their adventure is math!
Will Lulu and Elisabeth finally get to were they are going?
Read "Math and Magic in Wonderland " to find out.
I hope you love this book just like me!
I recamend this book to people that like math and adventure

[Sam Lantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew my mind. It started when I opened the cover. There were two girls named Elisabeth and Lulu. They were twins. Lulu was imaginative. Instead of counting to 10 to calm herself down, she recited pi, 3. 141592653589. It all started when Lulu lost her silver pen. It was her favorite! She told Elisabeth and literally dragged her outside. Then she found a book. And that is where the adventure started...

[Lekeshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine taking an adventure that results in looking at math in a different light and renew the wonder in math and beyond. Lilac Mohr has done an excellent job in leading us on a journey in a world where learning is all around us. I often forget this is a tale because learning is like this in the real world. It's not what we have been lead to believe by separating our learning into subjects that are devoid of pleasure. We are enjoying this book during our lessons. My littles are 6 and 9 and ask for this book by name and if one ask them if they are doing "school" they would look at you as a deer in headlights. We have become friends with the twins, Lulu and Elizabeth. We are intrigued by the magical world wrapped in literature. I would recommend this book for everyone regardless of age. Especially those who have lost the love of learning because the fire will be reignited.

Disclaimer, I have received a copy of this book for an honest review. This is a truthful review from the heart of myself and my littles.

"How dreary - to be - Somebody!
How public - like a Frog -
To tell one's name - the livelong June
To an admiring Bog!"
Emily Dickinson

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

We recently read this book again so that we would have the story fresh on our minds to start the next book, Math and Magic in Camelot.

My children really enjoyed this story, especially the Lewis Carroll references. The math "play along" sections were fun, though a bit challenging at times. There is an answer key in the back of the book, for which I was very thankful as some of the problems also challenged me!

There are also many references to art, poetry, and history. The kids were tickled whenever they recognized a little tidbit of poetry or information about historic mathematicians that they had learned in their other studies.

A fun read aloud for the family!

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an enjoyable way to to have fun with math! I pre-read it to use with my children and I had fun myself. There are so many nods to great literature, art, music, history, mathematicians, etc. There is something to draw everyone into this magical, mathematical, fantastical story, and it touches on so many different aspects of math and logic. Highly recommend!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This edition needs an editor. I noticed at least 10 typos/grammatical errors. The story was so-so, but it definitely served successfully as a framework for some math exploration with my son. And he clearly liked the story, because he often wanted to skip the problems at the end of each chapter to get to the next part of the story. My critique of the story was that it seemed very much in this world of home-schooled kids. I suspect home-schooled kids aren't depicted very often in literature, so I get the impulse, but that made it feel a little holier-than-thou to me with my public-school-attending kid. Who didn't even notice, one way or the other, so who am I to say?

[Dawn Oswald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel for middle readers that has elements of Alice in Wonderland in it. Two sisters use their wits and skills in mathematics and solving logic puzzles to discover clues on their hunt for the elusive Mrs. Magpie. It is an interactive book encouraging readers to participate in solving the puzzles. Few texts about mathematic equations and concepts engage readers in a storybook format. The author does a good job of this and I plan to add this and its sequel to the juvenile collection at the library where I work.

[Christina Brown Rowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book! I read it aloud to my 11 and 9 year old. We loved the references to Alice in Wonderland and the poem Jabberwocky. The math riddles were fun to figure out together. I hope she writes another.

[Tara Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids(7, 5, 3) enjoyed this book so much. We followed along with the authors Book Club ([...]) that enriched the experience. Together we learned and explored math concepts that we fun and challenging. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a living math book to explore with your children. I am a homeschooling mother and am always on the look out for living math and this one is spectacular.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review but truly would recommend this book to anyone looking to fall in love with math in a new way.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to read this book - even if you don't have kids! I love this book. My kids and I went crazy for math as we followed Lulu and Elizabeth all over Tulgey Wood reading clues and solving puzzles. This book has a bit of everything in it. We followed so many rabbit trails and followed along on Lilac Mohr's blog "Learners in Bloom" to get an even better experience. We can't wait to read the next book.

[Heidi Plummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun way to incorporate math and logic into your day! My girls (7 and 6) begged me to pick this book up and read it each day, preferring it over several other options. I love the way that it helps you to grow in different skills without even realizing it. I would definitely recommend this book for those who think they don't like math, as well as for those who know they do like math. Thanks for a great read, Ms. Mohr!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to get a copy of this book for review. It is fun and engaging. Full of Math, but so much more. You have Math you are reading about and then steps so your children can try it out themselves. You learn about famous Mathematicians as well as author references, poetry, and art. Plus the fun adventure these two sisters go on. A unique and fun read.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful! My son loved it so much he took it to bed with him. It is a fun story full of puzzles and interesting rabbit trails to follow. I highly recommend it for curious children of all ages!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simply amazing! It's adventure, Alice in Wonderland, math puzzles, and two sweet little girls all rolled up into a wonderful story. We are eagerly awaiting the next book in the series (hopefully around Christmas)!

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it -- said Alexander

The story was fun, the puzzles were challenging but it ended too soon! It was a fun read for my eight year old-- though we didn't do all the puzzles!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for an entertaining math book. I'm a sucker for STEM books set in Wonderland. It was a sure bet that I'd love this one. Well done.