We just finished our math unit and we used nearly all the math books below during our six week unit. The exceptions were the reference books at the bottom of this list.
Here’s how this list can be helpful toย you. I’ve included the name of the book with a picture along withย a brief description, the grade level, math level and whether the book is worth owning or borrowing. ย I listed the mathย level at about one year above ย what is typically taughtย school to ensure the student is familiar with the math; however, I also list the grade level at which the student could either read the book on his own or listen to it read and understand the math even without it being formally taught.
Worth owning or borrowing? My method of choosing is the following: If the book is a story that’s well written and nicely illustrated and I expect to read it over and over again to my kids, then I think it’s worth owning. If it’s a book I’ll need for a math unit, it’s easier to own it than to borrow it. But here’s the bottom line: my kids liked different books than I did! So, while I thought borrowing the Sir Cumference series wasย fine, my nine-year reads them all the time, so those might be better owned than borrowed.ย Use your own method for owning or borrowing, and when in doubt, try it out. If you love it, buy it!
If you’d rather have a printable list, clickย here.
Math Chapter Books
7X9= Trouble! Claudia Mills
Math chapter book
Story about a boy who has to learn the times table
Reading/math level 3rd grade
Worth checking out
Fractions=Trouble! Claudia Mills
Math chapter book
Story about a boy who is having a hard time learning his fractions and needs a tutor
Reading 3rd grade
Worth checking out
Geometry Books
The Greedy Triangle By Marilyn Burns
Math picture/story book
Covers geometric shapes from triangles to polygons
Inventive story about a triangle that chances shape (has deeper meanings and lessons)
Computer animated
Math level 2nd and up
Grade level preschool and up
Worth checking out
Mummy Math By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers geometry, shapes, faces, & edges
Fun โmysteryโ story set in Egypt in a pyramid
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 2nd and up
Worth checking out
Whatโs your Angle Pythagoras? By Julie Ellis
Math picture/story book
Covers 3, 4, 5 triangle, the Pythagorean theory and area
Historical however, Pythagoras wasnโt a child when he discovered the 3, 4, 5 triangle or the Pythagorean method
Math level 7th and up
Grade level 3rd ย and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers area of a circle
Math level 7th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Geometry: names the shapes and explains how many sides on each shape
Math level 3rdย and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumerence and the Great Knight of Angleland By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers angles, obtuse, acute and right angles
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference and Isle of Immeter By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers shapes, edges and faces
Math level 7th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
String, Straightedge, and Shadow By Julia E. Diggins
Chapter book for 7th grade reading level
History of geometry from the dawn of time through ancient Greece
Learn about Thales, Pythagoras and Eratosthenes
Nice story format with chapters
Great inspiration for geometry activities and geometry demonstrations
Math level 5th and up
Worth owning
Why Pi? By Johnny Ball
Math picture/reference books
Each page has information related to the math concept being explained
Filled with computer illustrations and photos
Covers math concepts related to geometry, measuring time, measurement, sound, pressure, light, electricity, temperature and moreย Introduces mathematicians where relevant
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 5th and up
Worth checking out or owning as a reference book
Books about Tangrams & Tessellations
Grandfather Tangโs Story By Ann Tompert
Math picture/story book
Covers tangrams in a delightfully written story
Great potential for interactive activities if you have tangrams (you can follow along in the story and make the different shapes)
Nicely illustrated
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 2nd and up
Worth checking out
The Warlordโs Puzzle By Virginia Pilegard
Math picture/story book
Covers tangrams in a plot driven story set in China hundreds of years ago
Well written compelling story, nicely illustrated
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 2nd and up
Worth checking out
Toads and Tessellations By Sharon Morrisette
Math picture/story book
Covers tessellations and how to arrange shapes so that the most shapes will fit on a particular size
Nicely illustrated, includes magic
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 2nd and up
Worth checking out
Math Picture Books that Complement a History Unit
Whatโs your Angle Pythagoras? By Julie Ellis
Math picture/story book
Covers 3, 4, 5 triangle, the Pythagorean theory and area
Historical however, Pythagoras wasnโt a child when he discovered the 3, 4, 5 triangle or the Pythagorean method
Math level 7th and up
Grade level 3rd ย and up
Worth checking out
The History of Counting By Denise Schmandt-Besserat
Math story/picture book
Historically goes through the different methods of counting and the cultures that used them
Great addition to an ancient civilization unit
Very informative
Written in a story like way, but itโs not a story in that there are no characters
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
The Librarian Who Measure The Earth By Kathryn Lasky
Math picture biography book
Story of Eratosthenes and how he measured the circumference of the earth
Covers the geometry used in measuring the earth
Wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated
Great potential for activities (namely measuring the earth)
Mix of simple and complex math
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth owning
Pythagoras and the Ratios By Julie Ellis
Math picture/story book
Covers ratios and music
Historical however, Pythagoras wasnโt a child when he discovered the relationship between length and notes
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd ย and up
Worth checking out
Roman Numerals I to MM By Arthur Geisert
Math picture book
Teaches the Roman numerals through pictures of farm animals
Unique and engaging approach
Nice addition to an ancient Roman unit
Opportunity for interaction on each page by counting the animals to see what Roman numeral it is
Inadvertently teaches addition and subtraction
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Measure the Earth Eratosthenes and his Celestial Geometry
Chapter book for 6th grade and up
Can be read aloud to younger students
Great complement to a history unit on ancient Greece
Covers history and geography of ancient Greece
Story of Eratosthenes and how he measured the earth
Grade/math level 6th and up
Worth checking out
Circumference Eratosthenes and the Ancient Quest to Measure the Globe
High school level book about the ancient mathematicians and the quest to measure the circumference of the earth
Math/grade level high school and up
Worth checking out
The Greatest Mathematicians Archimedes and his Eureka! Moment
Chapter book for 6th grade and up
Biography of Archimedes
Can accompany a unit on ancient Greece
Math/grade level 6th an up
Worth checking out
Archimedes and the Door of Science
Story of Archimedes and his discoveries written in an easy to read and understand format
Can accompany a unit on ancient Greece
Math/grade level 4th and up
Worth checking out
Scale & Proportion
Beanstalk By Ann McCallum
Math story/picture book
Story about scale, simple math that you can follow to scale up and scale down
Also uses shadow and proportion
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 2nd and up
Worth checking out
Measurement
Length By Henry Pluckrose
Math picture book
Explains the difference between length and height
Photos are dated, but information is simple and easy to understand
Math level 2nd and up
Grade level preschool
Worth checking out
Inch by Inch By Leo Lionni
Math story/picture book
Delightful story about measurement told by way of an inchworm
Beautifully illustrated, cute story
Math level preschool and up
Grade level preschool and up
Worth owning
Fractions Picture Books
Fraction Fun By David Adler
Math picture book
Covers fractions, terminology, simple division of a whole into 2,3, or more parts
Great potential for activity
Includes interactive activities at the end of the book
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 1st ย and up
Worth checking out
General Math
Mesmerizing Math By Jonathan Litton
Interactive math book
Covers all areas of math in an illustrated format with tabs and flaps that are moveable
Fun to read cover to cover as an introduction or review of math concepts
Great potential for activities
Mix of simple and complex math written for the elementary student
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 2ndย and up
Worth checking out or owning
Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares By Frank Murphy
Math picture/story book
Historical and biographical
Covers โmagic squaresโ that add up to the same number
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
High Noon By Scott Sundby
Math picture/story book
Covers scale and how to scale up and scale down (uses graph paper in some illustrations)
Inventive story, nicely illustrated, orignal
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 2nd and up
Worth checking out
Roosterโs Off to See the World By Eric Carle
Math picture/story book
Iconic illustrations and delightful story
Math is all about simple counting up and down
Math level preschool and up
Grade level preschool and up
Worth owning
A Place for Zero By Angeline LoPresti
Math picture/story book
Simple addition and multiplication are the side story to the main story of what zero is for
Covers place value, function of zero, and simple addition and multiplication
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Once Upon a Dime By Nancy Kelly Allen
Math picture/story book
Math with money
Delightful story, nicely illustrated, mentally interactive story (you guess what will happen next)
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 1st and up
Worth checking out
Great Estimations By Bruce Goldstone
Math picture book
Multiplication of fractions and whole numbers
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Equal Shmequal By Virginia Kroll
Math picture/story book
Covers balance and equality by means of weight (and weight equals strength in this story)
Delightful story thatโs entertaining for all ages but especially the youngsters
Math level preschool and up
Grade level preschool and up
Worth checking out/having
Alice in Pastaland By Alexandra Wright
Math picture/story book
Story based on Alice in Wonderland, simple math and sequence sprinkled throughout the story.
Mentions shapes, magic squares, multiplication, fractions and more
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 2nd and up
Worth checking out
Bedtime Mathย The Truth Comes Out By Laura Overdeck
Math book with informative stories on each page
Introduces math problems by giving information not related to math like geography, anatomy, etc.
Math questions for three levels, but I found that the difficulty level varied greatly from page to page within one level
Math level preschool to 4th grade
Grade level preschool and up
Worth checking out
Bedtime Math A Fun Excuse to Stay up Late By Laura Overdeck
Math book with informative stories on each page
Introduces math problems by giving information not related to math like geography, anatomy, etc.
Math questions for three levels, but I found that the difficulty level varied greatly from page to page within one level
Math level preschool to 4th grade
Grade level preschool and up
Worth checking out
Bedtime Math This Time Itโs Personal By Laura Overdeck
Math book with informative stories on each page
Introduces math problems by giving information not related to math like geography, anatomy, etc.
Math questions for three levels, but I found that the difficulty level varied greatly from page to page within one level
Math level preschool to 4th grade
Grade level preschool and up
Worth checking out
Biographies of Mathematicians
The Librarian Who Measure The Earth By Kathryn Lasky
Math picture biography book
Story of Eratosthenes and how he measured the circumference of the earth
Covers the geometry used in measuring the earth
Wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated
Great potential for activities (namely measuring the earth)
Mix of simple and complex math
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth owning
On a Beam of Light By Jennifer Berne
Picture biography book
Biography of Albert Einstein written for the youngster
Immensely enjoyable, beautifully written & illustrated, nice quality of paper
Less about math and more about Albert as a person
Math level preschool and up
Grade level preschool and up
Worth owning
The Boy Who Loved Math By Deborah Heiligman
Picture biography book
Wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated
Great biography about Paul Erdos
Enjoyable for all ages, includes math concepts as part of the story (prime numbers, negative numbers, etc.)
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth owning
Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares By Frank Murphy
Math picture/story book
Historical and biographical
Covers โmagic squaresโ that add up to the same number
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Fibonacci
The Rabbit Problem By Emily Gravett
Interactive picture book
Fibonacci sequence
No story, just interactive pages oriented as a calendar so it can be hung as a calendar and read that way, too
Beautifully illustrated, delightful to look through
Mix of simple and complex math
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level preschool and up
Worth checking out
Rabbits Rabbits Everywhere By Ann McCallum
Math picture/story book
Math patterns, Fibonacci sequence
Fun tale for youngsters
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 2nd and up
Worth checking out
Multiplication and Division
A Remainder of One By Elinore Pinczes
Math picture/story book
Covers division with remainders
Delightful story, uniquely illustrated
Very simple, yet instructional
Covers only one concept and it does it well
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 1st and up
Worth checking out
The Multiplying Menace Divides By Pam Calvert
Math picture/story book
Division of fractions and whole numbers
Math level 5th and up
Worth checking out
Multiplying Menace The Revenge of Rumplestiltskin By Pam Calvert
Math picture/stroy book
Multiplication of fractions and whole numbers
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
The Grapes of Math By Greg Tang
Math picture book
Multiplication of fractions and whole numbers
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Math for all Seasons By Greg Tang
Math poems with questions based on illustrations
Very interactive
Covers addition, multiplication and patterns
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 1st and up
Worth checking out
Symmetry
Seeing Symmetry By Loreen Leedy
Math picture book
Covers all types of symmetry
Informative yet simple, includes questions
Computer animation
Great potential for activities stemming from this book
Math level 3rd ย and up
Grade level 1st and up
Worth checking out
Probability
A Very Improbable Story By Edward Einhorn
Math picture/story book
Covers probability in the form of a delightful story
Nice illustrations
Great potential for activities
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 2nd and up
Worth checking out
Addition and Subtraction
The Action of Subtraction By Brian Cleary
Math picture book
Simple subtraction in a fun and silly poetic form
Covers terminology in a whimsical way
Math level 1st and up
Grade level 1st and up
Worth checking out
Math Fables By Greg Tang
Math picture book
Math presented in poems
Delightful story, computer animations
Math level 1st and up
Grade level 1st and up
Worth checking out
ย
Adding and Subtracting Puzzles By Karen Bryant-Mole
Reference picture book
Covers many areas of math in a delightful way: stories introduce the math, illustrations accompany each section and simple math problems are presented with each section
Helpful to cover each section on its own rather than reading this book as a picture book
Math level 4th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! By Marilyn Burns
Math picture/story book
Shapes and sides with addition/multiplication
A bit complicated or fast paced to fully appreciate the math, worth reading several times to understand/do the math
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sold! A Mothematics Adventure By Nathan Zimelman
Math picture/story book
Nicely illustrated, not much math, simple addition and multiplication
Math level 2ndย and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Math for all Seasons By Greg Tang
Math poems with questions based on illustrations
Very interactive
Covers addition, multiplication and patterns
Math level 3rd and up
Grade level 1st and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference Series
Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers area of a circle
Math level 7th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Geometry: names the shapes and explains how many sides on each shape
Math level 3rdย and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumerence and the Great Knight of Angleland By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers angles, obtuse, acute and right angles
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference and Isle of Immeter By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers shapes, edges and faces
Math level 7th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference and All the Kingโs Tens By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers grouping numbers into ones, tens, hundreds and thousands, explains place value
Math level 3rdย and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference and the Vikingโs Map By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers graphing and plotting points on a graph
Math level 6th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference and Off-the-Charts Dessert By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers charts and graphs and the difference between them
Math level 5th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi By Cindy Neuschwander
Math picture/story book
Covers geometry concepts of radius, pi and circumference and relationship between the radius and circumference
Math level 7th and up
Grade level 3rd and up
Worth checking out
Round Table Geometry Sir Cumference Classroom Activities By Don Robb
Reproducible workbook
Great accompaniment to the Sir Cumference series
Math level 4th and up
Worth having if you are using the Sir Cumference books as part of your math curriculum
ย Math โtextโ Books
(books with chapter, but not stories, includes math problems)
Math Smart Junior By Marcia Lerner
Math book in a story format that follows three kids on their math adventures
Math problems are presented naturally throughout the book as a natural result of life
Simple everyday math explored and explained through a delightful narrative
Creative and inventive
Additional questions at the end of each chapter
Math level 5th and up
Worth checking out
Arithmetricks By Edward H. Julius
Learn math tricks in a story like way.
Each chapter introduces a problem, shows the long way to solve the problem, shows the short cut or โarithmetrickโ, has an example on how to use the trick and has several questions (answers in the back)
Tricks are easy to learn but also easy to forget. We added more questions and practiced each โtrickโ for a week, but still after a year, we only remember a few. Worth reviewing often. Great tricks.
Math level 5th and up
Worth owning if youโll use it as part of your curriculum, worth borrowing as a novelty
Math Wizardry for Kids By Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams
Resource/ Reference book
Each โchapterโ has an intro about a paragraph long that is enjoyable to read and informative that is followed by a math activity.
Very interactive book that covers a wide variety of math concepts
Covers basic math to geometry and algebra at a basic level
Great potential for activities
Math level 4th and up
Worth owning
Family Math By Jean Kerr Stenmark, Virginia Thompson, Ruth Cossey
Math book to be read and worked on with kids
Great potential for activities
Math problems and activities
Math level 2nd grade and up
Resource/Reference Books
Teaching Mathematics in Rudolf Steiner Schools for Classesย I-VIII By Ron Jarman
Resource/reference book
Great resource for teachers/homeschoolers
Filled with many examples and explanations
Math level-all
Worth owning if using a Waldorf curriculum
Algebra the x and y of everyday math By Michael Willers
Resource/Reference book
Covers algebraic concepts with easy step by step instruction
Stories and biographies of great mathematicians throughout book
Learn about Euclid, Plato, Eratosthenes,ย Pythagoras, Descartes, Fibonacci and more.
Math level 7th and up (stories of mathematician 5th grade and up)
Worth owning
Student Calculator Math Books
Resource/Reference book
Teaches techniques on how to use a scientific calculator
Table of contents include: basic keys to your calculator, conversions, home management, algebra, finance, trigonometry, probability & statistics, chemistry and puzzles.
Math level 7th and up
Worth owning, if you need to learn how to use a scientific calculator, you wonโt have enough time to learn the techniques in this book in 3 weeks.
The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Math
Resource/Reference book
Covers all areas of math from the basic operations to geometry and algebra
Math level 5th and up
Worth owning
Coordinate Graphing by Teacher Created Resources
Reproducible workbook
Teaching graphing by using other math skills to get the coordinates
Covers integers, algebra, fractions, geometry, area & measurement, and more
Math level 6th and up
Worth owning
Wow, Hana! Love your post. Very thorough and a great set of books to keep on shelves.. I have a few already. I realized though that some (like the fraction trouble or the 7×9 trouble) my kids were done with after the first read.. Not sure if they understood the concepts being explained but they were not willing to go back to it.. So like you said, try it out and see.
In all honesty, I realized I enjoy the cleverness and illustrations and stories in the books way more than kids because I get it!! But that’s homeschooling journey, right?? Sometimes I’m enjoying our topics way more than the kids! And they are just joining us for the ride!
Thank you, Mudassarah! I had my kids mark all their favorites, and seeing what they each liked was surprising yet informative; I’ll post their reviews, too. Turns out we all like different books! Bottom line is that if I have to read a story over and over again to my kids, there has to be some redeeming quality about the book, i.e. illustrations, story line, content. So like you, I think I get the cleverness and content in a math-inspired story, unlike my kids who are more interested in the story line and illustrations and find the math content too difficult (speaking about the Sir Cumference series in particular). I think the winners are books that focus on only one simple concept and repeat it throughout the whole book. The titles that come to mind are Length, A Remainder of One, Equal Smequal, Seeing Symmetry, Great Estimations and Inch by Inch.
This was awesome, thank you! I especially like the review of the Math dictionary because that’s been in my shopping cart for a few days and jotted down a few others that will supplement our current math nicely in shฤ’ Allฤh ๐ jazak Allahu khayran! Do you have recommendations for a general recommended basic references to have.. for all subjects: history, science, nature study, math, arabic, etc. etc.
Thanks Angie! You’ll love the math reference book. It’s great to have. I don’t have a list of reference books for all subjects…yet. As I go through each unit study, I’ll be sure to add videos and blog posts that show what books, kits, games and activities we use. So far I have them for math and Ancient Rome. Next up is Ancient Egypt.
Math unit study:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-_sZH657xQ
Ancient Rome unity study:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PHVIVDBgSc
Thank you so much for this post!! I watched the video with all the math books and thought: “oh my, how am I going to buy all these books! I’ve already spent all my funding and they all look soooo good!” I have 5 children between 1 & 8, so they are all at different levels, therefore your feedback regarding grade/age level is much appreciated :). This was a very helpful post. Now I know what books I should focus on buying and the others I will check for at the library. I’m sure you know as homeschoolers, it’s easy to go out on a limb and buy everything…only to realize it wasn’t completely worth it. I’m a little disappointed to see that String, Straightedge, and Shadow By Julia E. Diggins is no where to be found in Canada. That looks like a good one that I’ll have to try my best to track down!
Tasha! Thank you! I’m so glad this post/video was helpful. It’s certainly more affordable to get these books at the library, and if you can and you don’t incur a small debt in late fees ๐ then I’d recommend to anyone to get them from the library first. Next try the library bookstore and other discount stores and slowly build up a good supply of the books you want. The problem I encountered is that now that I’m on my second and third passes through these lessons, its abundantly easier to own these books rather than borrow them, Plus I forget what was good for particular units. So, since joining a charter school, I’ve been able to slowly accumulate the books I need for each unit and have them when I need them. It’s frustrating for me if a book hasn’t come in to my library when I need for a unit or if I plan ahead and get in time, but can’t keep it long enough to span the unit. With your oldest still kind of young, you can start collecting now ๐ I’m sorry to hear String, Straightedge and Shadow isn’t available in Canada. I did see it on Amazon here but nowhere else. I haven’t found anything similar to it yet.
Hi Hana!! I am just starting out doing main block or unit studies and I love the list of books and the videos you have for all your unit studies. They are such a huge help!! Is there anyway you could do a video on “Teaching Mathematics in Rudolf Steiner Schools for Classes I-VIII” – By Ron Jarman? I am looking into buying it but it is very pricey and before I take the plunge I wanted to see what was all in it. I’ve searched around and I can’t find anything to see inside for the content . Thanks so much for any help! ๐
Yes! I’ll reread portions of it, so I can give you a good video on it ๐
I keep coming back to this list. Great reference.
Thanks for this list! I found a wonderful YT video on the Fibonacci sequence for kids, prob. 5-12th grade ish. https://youtu.be/ahXIMUkSXX0
I’ so glad you liked it Jamie! Thanks for the link, I’ll be checking it out.
Super grateful for you taking the time to document all of this for our use! Iโm so excited to add your suggestions to our library and LOVE your YouTube interaction as well! Youโre an amazing woman and I imagine a REALLY fun teacher Hana! Very inspired by you! ?
Awe thank you Bethany! I hope you enjoy the books I’ve recommended and that they make good additions to your homeschool library.