HIT, MIDDLE: Fiction with Math Theme

[Evie Funk <EVIE@VAX1.MANKATO.MSUS.EDU>]

Dear LM_NET Friends,
A few days ago I asked for help on finding fiction
books with a Math Theme for 8th and 9th grade
students at my school.  Here are the titles that
were suggested by LM_NET friends. Thanks to
everyone who took the time to respond.

Evie Funk / evie@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
Hopkins West Junior High
Minnetonka, Minnesota

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This title is a bit young for 8th & 9th graders
but there's *Sideways arithmetic from Wayside
School" by Louis Sachar
Chris House <wexlr1@minerva.cis.yale.edu>

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What are the parameters of the teachr's request?
Is he/she looking for books that use logic and
reasoning in their plot development, or
characters that are mathematically inclined, or
what?
One book in the first category that comes to mind
is _The Westing Game)_ by Ellen Raskin.  May be a
little young for junior high, but it works
out a puzzle with logic.

Carolynne Lathrop                 clathrop@univ.dbq.edu
Curriculum Library
University of Dubuque
Dubuque IA 52001
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I just read Michael Crichton's new book *Congo*
and one of it's themes is math.  I think it would
be appropriate for grades 6 and up.  The cover of
the book says it's soon to be a major motion picture,
so there might be a movie tie-in.

Kathy Geronzin,
Jr.-Sr. High School Librarian,
Northeast Communit School District
Goose Lake, IA 52750
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Evie,
See if you can get hold of a copy of "Read any good
math books lately" by David J. Whitin.  It's geared
just to 6th, but I bet you can adapt.  If
you can't find it, I have a copy, it's divided up
by math topic, just let me know what ones you need.

Cindy Walters
cwalters@tenet.edu
Caraway Intermediate School
Grades 5-6
Houston, TX 77088
(713)878-0324  phone        (713)878-0326 FAX
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a gebra named al.
wendy isdell.
free spirit publishing, inc. 1993.
117p. pap.
this title will be used as summer reading for our middle school students.
sandra latzer
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Evie - our librarian Lynn McCree forwarded your
message. To consider:
Flatland (Abbot)
Anno's Math Games (and II) (Anno)
Sphereland (Burger)
Fascinating Fibonaccis (Garland)
A Gebra Named Al (Isdell) - This one is my favorite.
The Dot and the Line (Juster)
Phantom Tollbooth (Juster)
Sideways ARithmetic (Sachar)
Stories to Solve (Shannon)
**Books You Can Count On, Linking Mathematics and
Literature** Griffiths

I hope this helps. Would you forward the HIT list
too?
Anita
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Sorry to say, I deleted the request from someone
looking for novels that could be used by the Math
teacher, in a high school (I think).

The February issue of NCTE journal, _Voices from
the Middle_, has an interesting and appropriate
article on "New Dimensions in Mathematical
Literacy" by Nancy Sundberg.  Her bibliography
mentions:
        Abbott, E.A., _Flatland: A romance of many
dimensions_ (Harper,
1983 -- from the 1884 original)
        Heinlein, R.A., "--and he built a crooked
house" in T.Carr (ed)
_Classic Science Fiction: The First Golden Age_
(Harper, 1978)

She also refers to _A Wrinkle in Time_ by Madeline
L'Engle.
Hope these can help.

Katharine Bruner
Brown Middle School
brunerk@ten-nash.ten.k12.us             Harrison TN
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