Math Curse

( 11 )
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Hardcover
$11.24
BN.com price
$17.99 List Price (Save 38%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$0.71
$17.99 List Price (Save 96%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (78)  
Used (56)  
New (22)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 8
Showing 1 – 10 of 78 (8 pages)
$0.71
(Save 96%)
GICW Books
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(712)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Sound copy, mild reading wear. May have scuffs, minor notes, highlighting or underlining.

Ships from: Hillsboro, OR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 94%)
BooksForGoodwillGetJobs
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(224)

Condition: Acceptable
1995 Hardcover Fair The book is clean but may have markings or highlights througout.

Ships from: St Paul, MN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 94%)
ShopGoodwillNLA
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(169)

Condition: Acceptable
1995 Hardcover Fair Front or back cover has minor damage or stains. The copies are used. All copies in readable condtion may show signs of wear and folds at corners. Item is a ... readable copy with some highlighting or ink throughout the book. The binding and pages may show signs of edges curled. The book may be a library copy. Thank You for shopping with Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana. Your purchase supports our mission " Improving people's lives through the power of work." Read more Show Less

Ships from: Shreveport, LA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 94%)
More Than Words MA
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(992)

Condition: Acceptable
Acceptable The book is a readable copy showing signs of wear and the pages are intact. The cover may have some creases or minor tears. The dust jacket (if applicable) may be ... missing. The book may be an ex-library book. The book may contain: a publisher remainder mar. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Waltham, MA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 94%)
Goodwillbound
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(90)

Condition: Good
1995 Hardcover Good Cover jacket Writing inside front cover Your purchase is helping someone with a disability find a job! Thank you!

Ships from: Waterloo, IA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 89%)
Yankee Clipper Books
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(3923)

Condition: Acceptable
Sail the Seas of Value

Ships from: Windsor, CT

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 89%)
Yankee Clipper Books
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(3923)

Condition: Good
Book shows a small amount of wear to cover and binding. Some pages show signs of use. Sail the Seas of Value

Ships from: Windsor, CT

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 89%)
Yankee Clipper Books
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(3923)

Condition: Good
Dust Cover Missing. Book shows a small amount of wear to cover and binding. Some pages show signs of use. Sail the Seas of Value

Ships from: Windsor, CT

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 89%)
Yankee Clipper Books
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(3923)

Condition: Acceptable
Sail the Seas of Value

Ships from: Windsor, CT

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 89%)
Yankee Clipper Books
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(3923)

Condition: Acceptable
Sail the Seas of Value

Ships from: Windsor, CT

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 8
Showing 1 – 10 of 78 (8 pages)
Close
Sort by

Overview

"As close to genius as one gets in a picture book."--USA Today

* An ABBY Honor Book
* ALA Notable Book
* ALA Best Books for Young Adults
* The Horn Book Fanfare
* Texas Bluebonnet Award
* Publishers Weekly Best Books of 1995
* School Library Journal Best Books of 1995
* Booklist: Editors' Choice Award

When the teacher tells her class that they can think of almost everything as a math problem, one student acquires a math anxiety which becomes a real curse.

...
See more details below
Note: Kids' Club Eligible. See More Details.
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

"As close to genius as one gets in a picture book."--USA Today

* An ABBY Honor Book
* ALA Notable Book
* ALA Best Books for Young Adults
* The Horn Book Fanfare
* Texas Bluebonnet Award
* Publishers Weekly Best Books of 1995
* School Library Journal Best Books of 1995
* Booklist: Editors' Choice Award

When the teacher tells her class that they can think of almost everything as a math problem, one student acquires a math anxiety which becomes a real curse.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
Arrgh! Does tunafish plus tunafish equal fourfish? A girl finds herself trapped in a math curse when her teacher tells the class they can think of almost anything as a math problem. Soon she sees math everywhere. Scieszka and Smith join forces again to create another lunatic masterpiece, and adults will writhe in sympathy as they remember their own math curses.
Publishers Weekly
Whew! This latest whimsical work from Scieszka and Smith (The True Story of the Three Little Pigs; The Stinky Cheese Man) is bound to stretch out the old thinking cap. The day after her teacher announces, "You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem," the narrator is afflicted with a ``math curse'' that affects how she views every facet of her day (``Everything seems to be a problem''). A minimum of the questions she asks herself are entirely logical ("How many quarts are in a gallon?''); some are far-fetched extrapolations (if an M&M is about one centimeter long and the Mississippi River is about 4000 kilometers long, how many M&Ms would it take to measure the length of this river?); and a happily hefty number are sheer nonsense: "I undo 8 buttons plus 2 shoelaces. I subtract 2 shoes. I multiply times 2 socks and divide by 3 pillows to get 5 sheep, remainder 1, which is all I need to count before I fall asleep." Like the text, Smith's wonderfully wacky collage-like art will give readers ample food for thought-even if it's part junk food. Here's a morsel: "Does tunafish + tunafish = fournafish?" Kids will want seconds-count on it. Ages 7-up. (Oct.)
More Reviews (8) Fewer Reviews
Children's Literature
Sorry, Mrs. Fibonacci, but when you labeled everything a math problem, my mind couldn't cope. I loved arithmetic but word problems drove me crazy. If I wanted to know how long it takes a train to go from one place to another, I'd get a train schedule. Scieszka, a former math teacher, takes numerical enigmas and rejiggers them in this mind-boggling, hysterically funny book. The combination of art and text is a hoot. There is some legitimate math within the nonsense, but most of it is just plain fun. Read it aloud at your next faculty meeting in a deadpan, serious style. If no one laughs, fire them! Assignment: What is the significance of Mrs. Fibonacci's name?
Children's Literature
The two bad boys of "kiddie lit" have done it again! Their irreverent look at math and the way we teach it in school will delight anyone who has ever sat through a meaningless explanation of what happens when the two infamous story-problem trains speed away from their respective stations. Readers who appreciate a first class marriage of text, illustration, sense, and nonsense will love this book.
Children's Literature
The duo who dare to be different take us into the world of numbers in this book. They combine math and literature and get the story of a young heroine whose questions multiply when her teacher, Mrs. Fibonacci, tells the math class, "You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem." The young girl is spun into the world of mathematics. Problems she encounters include simple arithmetic processes, mathematical systems, money, measuring, and geometry. The mathematical facet of the book is equaled by playful references and humor, which gains the book exponential power. One could read Math Curse with a child as young as second grade and that child would enjoy the story at face value, but upper elementary and middle school mathematicians will better appreciate the humor and references.
School Library Journal
Gr 1–4—Do Lane Smith and Jon Scieszka make a whacky team? Do four quarts equal a gallon? Do 12 inches equal a foot? Yes, yes, and yes! Their wild and crazy homage to the story problem (Viking, 1995) is well-treated here. A young girl's math teacher, Mrs. Fibonacci, tells the class that you can think of almost everything as a math problem. Thus the week begins and soon every aspect of the youngsters' lives is dominated by the story problems that gave us all nightmares at one time or another. Measurement, fractions, probability…it's all here. Things start simply but degenerate in a surreal manner nicely reflected in Lane Smith's imaginative, bizarre, eye-catching illustrations that combine drawings with collage. They are scanned iconographically as well as animated for maximum effect while Nancy Wu's high-energy narration bounces from problem to problem. Original music enhances the text. The DVD includes a humorous interview with both Smith and Scieszka lobbing comments back and forth like a high-speed tennis match. Viewers may choose to watch the story with or without read-along subtitles. The CD includes Wu's narration and the original music, as well as a track for the "Math Curse" song. This is a zany presentation that pokes gentle fun at math, while pointing out how much it impacts our daily lives.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA
School Library Journal
Gr 3-5-From the inventive minds of Scieszka and Smith comes an unusual take on the subject of mathematics. More for the ``Time Warp Trio'' audience than for Stinky Cheese Man (1992, both Viking) devotees, Math Curse opens with the ominously simple statement, ``You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem.'' From that point on, the young narrator is overwhelmed with daily math. Getting dressed, eating breakfast, getting to school-everything involves addition, subtraction, measurement, probability, etc. Questions are boxed and numbered within the narrative, just as they might appear in a textbook. The questions, however, are not always typical workbook queries. For example, ``I take the milk out for my cereal and wonder: 1.How many quarts in a gallon? 2.How many pints in a quart? 3.How many inches in a foot? 4.How many feet in a yard? 5.How many yards in a neighborhood? How many inches in a pint? How many feet in my shoes?'' Some of the humor may have to be explained to readers. Kids will be able to figure out most of the problems on their own, depending on their grasp of fractions. Smith's illustrations are wild and rollicking. Combining drawings with collage, he creates a multi-textured school scene that reflects the narrator's confusion. Numbers are everywhere, but so are whimsical touches such as the individual expressions on the 24 cherries that adorn the class's cupcakes. This title can certainly be used as lighthearted relief in math class, but the story will be heartily enjoyed simply for its zany humor and nonstop sense of fun.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
School Library Journal
Spice up your classes with books by Greg Tang, an author who encourages kids to take a playful approach to math. Each book has complete explanations for the problems posed. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Carolyn Phelan
Children will know what they're in for when they read Scieszka's dedication: "If the sum of my nieces and nephews equals 15, and their product equals 54, and I have more nephews than nieces, HOW MANY NEPHEWS AND HOW MANY NIECES IS THIS BOOK DEDICATED TO?" But unlike in their classrooms, readers are in control here: they can decide whether or not to calculate the solution. In the story, a girl wakes up one morning to find everything in life arranging itself into a math problem. Throughout the school day, each minor event inspires her to create new sets of math problems, which quickly develop from the merely arithmetical to the moderately puzzling to the truly wacky. Other kids in math-across-the-curriculum classes may sympathize when the teacher asks how to divide Rebecca's 24 cupcakes among 25 people: "I'm the first to figure out the answer. / I raise my hand and tell Mrs. Fibonacci / I'm allergic to cupcakes." She decides that her teacher has put a math curse on her, but in her dreams that night, she finds a way out of her mathematical mindset. Bold in design and often bizarre in expression, Smith's paintings clearly express the child's feelings of bemusement, frustration, and panic as well as her eventual joy when she overcomes the math curse. Scieszka and Smith triumph, too, at the top of their class as artists and entertainers, their distinctive voice and original vision creating a child-centered, witty picture book about the woes of math anxiety.
Children's Literature
There are those who like math and those that love math....and then there are those that HATE math! Everything about it is a challenge. It is as if, well, it is a curse! Written and illustrated by the team that brought you the Stinky Cheese Man and the True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, this book is funny from page one where a little girl is drawn into a curse by her math teacher's words: "You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem." Yikes! From that moment on, everything IS a math problem and it is making her insane. She thinks of how many M&Ms lying side by side would run the length of the Mississippi River, how many pints in a quart, and how many ounces in a pint. Everything is madness. That is, until she figures out a way to make a whole (aka, hole) and she escapes from her math nightmare through the hole. So much of this is tongue in cheek and hilarious that it just might make a math lover out of you. Well, OK, maybe a math "tolerater." The movement of the animation makes the dreamlike bits in the book come alive in a way that print just could not do. It makes the DVD, a companion to the book, a perfect choice. The interview with the creators of the above mentioned books is worth acquiring the video even if you hate math. Running time: 15 minutes. Animation. Reviewer: Joan Kindig, Ph.D.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780670861941
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 10/28/1995
  • Pages: 32
  • Sales rank: 34,305
  • Age range: 4 - 8 Years
  • Lexile: 560L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 11.22 (w) x 11.30 (h) x 0.38 (d)

Meet the Author

Jon Scieszka
Jon Scieszka

Jon Scieszka is the author of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!, the Time Warp Trio series, The Stinky Cheese Man, and a truckload of other books that inspire kids to want to read. His work as an elementary school teacher and as founder of a literacy initiative for boys (www.guysread.com) drove him to create Trucktown, a crazy, fun action series for the youngest readers.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 11 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(8)

4 Star

(2)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing all of 11 Customer Reviews

  • Posted April 25, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Best book for a math lesson

    Scieszka has some of the best books and Math Curse is no exception. This is a fantastic book to show kids that math is in EVERYTHING we do. The fly pages are excellent and there are interesting facts all over the jacket. Scieszka makes everything more fun and the poor child in the story is cursed with seeing the math in everything. But after a long day of dizzying math, he realizes that if you just "put the hole on the wall and jump out" that everything will be okay. This book can be used for just about any math topic and kids find it hilarious.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted March 21, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    9780670910571

    Smart, clever & fun!

    My family loves this book! It's a great read aloud and it gave us an opportunity to talk about math in everyday life. Ihave 1 son who loves math and 1 who hates it but they both loved this book!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 5, 2007

    I LOVE THIS BOOK

    I used to read this over and over again in the library when I was 8. I am in college now and still remember it, but now I can appreciate its artwork evenmore. It's not bad illustrations at all- Lane Smith is inventive. I guess innovation turns off people, though.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 20, 2004

    A very unique math book

    This is one of the best written math picture books around. It imparts math concepts without hitting them too hard so kids are turned off. It's droll and the illustrations are fabulous. Highly recommended.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 22, 2004

    Book Summary

    The children¿s book Math Curse, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith is appropriate for children ages 7 through 10. There are no chapters. The words are pretty big. The book¿s setting takes place from the beginning of one day to the beginning of the next. The story relates to the study of math because everything becomes a math problem. If I were a math teacher, I would use it to teach math because it shows the importance of math. My opinion of the book is that it is funny and it really shows how math is a part of everyday life. The strength of this book is that it explains the importance of math. The weakness of this book is it¿s bad art. My favorite portion of this book is when she said ¿does tuna fish and tuna fish equal four fish?¿ My suggestion for a sequel is a Science version, because the story ends when she is in science class and her teacher Mr. Newton says ¿You know you can think of everything as a science experiment.¿

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 4, 2003

    GREAT BOOK

    I would definitely reccomend this book, especially for those students who complain why do we need math we are never going to use it. It gets students to see that math is all around them and it gets students to use their critical thinking skills with word problems they give!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 26, 2003

    Great motivation book about math!

    I used this book as a Halloween lesson to place a "curse" on my students. They all enjoyed this book. After reading it, I had all my students create their own math curses. This is a great book for a project to get students motivated about math!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 17, 2002

    Terrific Book

    WONDERFUL book! It makes a great read aloud book. Perfect for an audience of any age. I bought this book to read aloud to my high school math class and it's great!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 9, 2001

    This book takes math to where it's never been before!!

    This book was exellent, I reccamend it to everyone that likes a good laugh. It is about a little girl that when her math teacher puts a curse on her she finds out that everything involves math, AHH! So read it yourself and i prommise you, you will like it!!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 17, 1999

    Great book for the truely math cursed.

    This is ultimately a great book to give to those kids who just feel like they cannot continue on in math. Sure, math is frustrating, but we all have to go through it and that is exactly what this book shows. I would recommend this to any and everybody!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 18, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 11 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit