My Shoelaces Are Hard To Tie

For use in schools and libraries only. A young girl gets help from her big brother, while learning to tie her shoelaces.

"Includes make-it-yourself model shoe"--Back cover.

"Includes a practice show and step-by-step instructions!"--Cover.

Ben, a spectacle-wearing centipede, is thrilled to start second grade. Until a sneering grasshopper points out that he¿s the only one still wearing ¿baby shoes.¿ Fifty pairs of new shoes later, Ben realizes that tying shoes isn¿t so easy, especially with a low-vision disability that even thick glasses can't completely correct. e school's occupational therapist shows Ben some tips and tricks for shoe tying that include using special colored laces. Now Ben must decide whether using the special laces is worth it¿especially when it makes him look different and a bully is involved.

A young girl gets help from her big brother while learning to tie her shoelaces.

Crisscross, zigzag, bowtie, devil, angel, or star: which are the longest, the shortest, the strongest, and the weakest lacings? Pondering the mathematics of shoelaces, the author paints a vivid picture of the simple, beautiful, and surprising characterizations of the most common shoelace patterns. The mathematics involved is an attractive mix of combinatorics and elementary calculus. This book will be enjoyed by mathematically minded people for as long as there are shoes to lace.Burkard Polster is a well-known mathematical juggler, magician, origami expert, bubble-master, shoelace charmer, and "Count von Count" impersonator. His previous books include A Geometrical Picture Book, The Mathematics of Juggling, and QED: Beauty in Mathematical Proof.