Betcha! (Mathstart. Level 3) - Hardcover

Murphy, Stuart J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060267682 ISBN 13: 9780060267681

Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books, 1997

Synopsis

Uses a dialog between two friends, one who estimates, one who counts precisely, to show estimation at work in everyday life

About this title

About the Author

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has a strong background in design and art direction. He also has extensive experience in the world of educational publishing. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math.

Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Evanston, Illinois.

Reviews

Grade 3-4?On their way to a store sponsoring a contest that involves guessing the number of jellybeans in a jar, two friends encounter situations that involve numerical determinations; e.g., how many people are on the bus, the number of cars in a traffic jam. One boy counts one by one to obtain the answers, whereas the other one uses simple techniques to come up with near estimations. The easy-to-read picture-book format with only one or two sentences per page will appeal to reluctant readers, and the boys' urban environment provides common situations to which many students will easily relate. The uncomplicated drawings show how the boy's brain is processing data and the skills he employs to arrive at an educated guess. The last two pages give suggestions and ideas for adults to help children further their understanding of the concept. A short list of similar concept books is included. This title will be especially useful for classroom use as it provides many possibilities for related activities.?Stephani Hutchinson, Pioneer Elementary School, Sunnyside, WA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Playing with numbers--that's what this book from Murphy (The Best Vacation Ever, 1997, etc.) is all about. Part of the MathStart series, this entry introduces the art of estimation. Two boys are engaged in the project, one estimating, the other counting. Their ultimate goal is to try to figure out how many jelly beans are in a big glass jar and win tickets to a sporting event, but the storyline bows deeply to the emphasis on estimation as a process. As the boys head downtown to the toy store and the jelly beans, they estimate the number of people on the bus, the numbers of cars in a traffic jam, the total prices of goods in a window, all the while demonstrating both rounding off and how to count a small number and apply that to the great, uncounted whole through the use of multiplication, fractions, and simple geometry. Murphy's success is in beveling the sharp, unforgiving reputation of math and in showing how numbers can be toyed with. Readers may come away with the sense that they are not slaves to numbers--it's the other way around. (further reading) (Picture book. 6-9) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060267682
• ISBN 13: 9780060267681
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Schindler S. D.
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 33