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A Knotty Problem
Tensions Rise Between the Math Kids When Stephanie finds out her soccer team has a tournament on the same day as the district math competition, an upset Justin offers her a choose Math Kids or leave the club. Dismayed by his attitude, Stephanie quits and Catherine goes with her. With their club in shambles, the future of their friendships is further threatened by the news that Justin's dad has been offered a new job and wants to move his family to St. Louis. Jordan, Justin, Catherine, and Stephanie may face the permanent fracture of their friend group and a bleak end to their school year―unless they can come together to overcome some impossible situations. Problem solving skills apply to much more than homework in the latest addition to the Math Kids series. A Knotty Problem continues the Math Kids series' streak of providing entertainment and enlightenment. ~ Foreword Reviews Ably demonstrates finding thoughtful solutions for common problems. ~ Kirkus Reviews
186 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2022
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November 4, 2022
The Math Kids: A Knotty Problem is a fun and interesting story about friendships, competing demands, and solving problems. The book includes engaging illustrations of the characters and of knots that are part of the story. There are some over the top moments like riding in a rich person’s helicopter and a few jokes along the way to balance out the more serious moments.
I was happy to discover how much I like the Math Kids book series since I don’t generally get excited about math. Justin, Jordan, Stephanie, and Catherine are the math kids—they are fifth graders who formed a math club while in fourth grade.
In A Knotty Problem, we see the kids outside of school and learn more about their interests besides math. Stephanie’s soccer team wins a crucial game and will now be playing in a tournament that turns out to be the same weekend as a math competition the math kids signed up for. This conflict in extracurriculars is very relatable and makes the reader wonder what will happen next.
The Math Kids books capture the fun of problem solving, without glossing over the effort of practicing. I like how we see characters who are very good at math sometimes overlooking something in the first approach to a problem and then having to start over, using a different path. This is presented as a normal aspect of problem solving and not a big deal. I think that is important because kids who struggle with math may believe that their peers who are good at it never have false starts or make mistakes.
This particular book has a knots theme, so you’ll find info about knots including the
Gordian knot, sailing knots, and earbud cords that work themselves into knots. When math problems are presented within the story, the book alerts the reader in case they want to solve the problem before seeing the solution. There’s an appendix with detailed problem solving and answers. That’s a good solution to avoid bogging down the story.
I was happy to discover how much I like the Math Kids book series since I don’t generally get excited about math. Justin, Jordan, Stephanie, and Catherine are the math kids—they are fifth graders who formed a math club while in fourth grade.
In A Knotty Problem, we see the kids outside of school and learn more about their interests besides math. Stephanie’s soccer team wins a crucial game and will now be playing in a tournament that turns out to be the same weekend as a math competition the math kids signed up for. This conflict in extracurriculars is very relatable and makes the reader wonder what will happen next.
The Math Kids books capture the fun of problem solving, without glossing over the effort of practicing. I like how we see characters who are very good at math sometimes overlooking something in the first approach to a problem and then having to start over, using a different path. This is presented as a normal aspect of problem solving and not a big deal. I think that is important because kids who struggle with math may believe that their peers who are good at it never have false starts or make mistakes.
This particular book has a knots theme, so you’ll find info about knots including the
Gordian knot, sailing knots, and earbud cords that work themselves into knots. When math problems are presented within the story, the book alerts the reader in case they want to solve the problem before seeing the solution. There’s an appendix with detailed problem solving and answers. That’s a good solution to avoid bogging down the story.
Displaying 1 of 1 review