The Book Of Perfectly Perilous Math

Math rocks! At least it does in the gifted hands of Sean Connolly, who blends middle school math with fantasy to create an exciting adventure in problem-solving. These word problems are perilous, do-or-die scenarios of blood-sucking vampires (How many months would it take a single vampire to completely take over a town of 500,000 people?), or a rowboat of 5 shipwrecked sailors with a single barrel of freshwater (How much can they drink, and for how long, before they go mad from thirst???). Each problem requires readers to dig deep into the tools they’re learning in school to figure out how to survive. Kids will love solving these problems. Sean Connolly knows how to make tough subjects exciting and he brings that same intuitive understanding of what inspires and challenges kids’ curiosity to the 24 problems in The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math. These problems are as fun to read as they are challenging to solve. They test readers on fractions, algebra, geometry, probability, expressions and equations, and more. Use geometry to fill in for the ship’s navigator and make it safely to the New World. Escape an evil Duke’s executioner by picking the right door—probability will save your neck.

“By capitalizing on these real-world applications, Tymony helps conquer much of the fear and dread associated with traditional math lessons.” (Booklist) Cy Tymony, author of the best-selling Sneaky Uses series, brings his unique, fun hands-on learning approach to all things math. Many people fear math and numbers, even Barbie, who famously said “Math class is tough” in her controversial 1992 talking doll version. But in Sneaky Math, Cy Tymony takes tough and turns it into triumph. He shows us how math is all around us through intriguing and easy projects, including twenty pass-along tools to complement math education programs. The book is divided into seven sections: 1. Fundamentals of Numbers and Arithmetic 2. Algebra Primer 3. Geometry Primer 4. Trigonometry Primer 5. Calculus Primer 6. Sneaky Math Challenges, Tricks, and Formulas 7. Resources

How do you figure out a player's batting average? Which stadium has the biggest outfield? This book uses a variety of techniques to solve a variety of baseball-related math questions. Readers also learn some baseball history and fun facts.

Intended to support the national initiative to strengthen learning in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, this book helps librarians who work with youth in school and public libraries to build better collections and more effectively use these collections through readers' advisory and programming. A versatile and multi-faceted guide, Best STEM Resources for NextGen Scientists: The Essential Selection and User's Guide serves as a readers' advisory and collection development resource for youth services and school librarians seeking to bring STEM-related titles into their collections and introduce teachers and young readers to them. This book not only guides readers to hundreds of the best STEM-related titles—fiction and non-fiction printed materials as well as apps, DVDs, websites, and games—it also includes related activities or programming ideas to help promote the use of the collection to patrons or students in storytime, afterschool programs, or passive library programs. After a detailed discussion of the importance of STEM and the opportunities librarians have for involvement, the book lists and describes best STEM resources for young learners. Resources are organized according to the reading audiences for which they are intended, from toddlers through teens, and the book includes annotated lists of both fiction and nonfiction STEM titles as well as graphic novels, digital products, and online resources. In addition, the author offers a selection of professional readings for librarians and media specialists who wish to further expand their knowledge.

From Sean Connolly, the master of messy and dangerous (and therefore extra-fun) science, a collection of more than 20 hands-on experiments that are like an interactive journey through the periodic table of elements. In this introduction to chemistry for STEM-curious kids ages 9 and up, each chapter of The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry focuses on a single element—its properties, how it was discovered, and even its potential danger level. Easy-to-follow experiments help readers put their newfound knowledge into action. All that’s needed is a sense of adventure and some items from around the house. Make your own fossil with silicon. Use a pinhead and measure 166 feet of string for a mind-boggling insight into how a hydrogen atom is built. Discover oxygen and oxygenation by slicing an apple and seeing what happens an hour later. Harness the power of zinc with a potato clock. And enjoy a special hands-off feature about the “Dirty Dozen”—those nasty elements, from arsenic to plutonium, that can wreak havoc wherever they appear (there are no experiments using these chemicals). Matter really matters, and now you’ll really understand why.

In 2006, an eccentric Russian mathematician named Grigori Perelman solved one of the world's greatest intellectual puzzles. The Poincare conjecture is an extremely complex topological problem that had eluded the best minds for over a century. In 2000, the Clay Institute in Boston named it one of seven great unsolved mathematical problems, and promised a million dollars to anyone who could find a solution. Perelman was awarded the prize this year - and declined the money. Journalist Masha Gessen was determined to find out why. Drawing on interviews with Perelman's teachers, classmates, coaches, teammates, and colleagues in Russia and the US - and informed by her own background as a math whiz raised in Russia - she set out to uncover the nature of Perelman's astonishing abilities. In telling his story, Masha Gessen has constructed a gripping and tragic tale that sheds rare light on the unique burden of genius.

Why does a knuckleball flutter? Why do belly flops hurt so much? Why would a quarterback prefer a deflated football? Here are 54 all-star experiments that demonstrate the scientific principles powering a wide variety of sports and activities—and offer insights that can help you improve your own athletic skills. How does a black belt karate chop her way through a stack of bricks? Use Popsicle sticks to understand why it’s possible and learn the role played by Newton’s second law of motion. Does LeBron James really float through the air on the way to a dunk? Use a tennis ball, a paperback book, and the help of a friend to understand the science of momentum and the real meaning of hang time. Using common household objects, each project includes step-by-step instructions, tips, and a detailed explanation of how and why the experiment worked. It’s a win-win. The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat—it’s all in the science.

Stand back—genius at work! The perfect gift for every curious kid interested in science, here is a kit to perform 18 experiments that snap, crackle, pop, ooze, crash, boom, and stink. Included is a 72-page book with step-by-step instructions for the 18 experiments, including notes on how long each experiment takes, the necessary ingredients, warnings when applicable, and the “scientific excuse” to do the experiment. Sure, it’s a blast to send up a Soda Bottle Rocket, but it’s also worth doing because it illustrates Newton’s Third Law of Motion. And that messy and seemingly risky combination of ooze and electricity in the Static Electricity Slime? It demonstrates a fourth form of matter beyond solid, liquid, and gas—a colloid. Packaged in the kit are four helpful instruments for young scientists: a lateral split-orb measuring spoon, a vacuumatic test tube, a matter-retaining measuring cup, and photon-refracting goggles. So go ahead: Encase a younger sibling in a giant soap bubble. Drop Mentos into a bottle of diet soda, and stand back as a geyser erupts. Shoot a bolt of lightning from your fingertip. Any curious kid would be irresponsible not to try these experiments.