Numbed! - Hardcover

Lubar, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1467705942 ISBN 13: 9781467705943

Publisher: Millbrook Pr, 2013

Synopsis

When a robot at the math museum zaps their math skills, sixth-grader Logan and his mischievous friend, Benedict, must pass a series of math challenges to retrieve their knowledge.

About this title

About the Author

David Lubar has written more than twenty books for young readers, including Hidden Talents, Flip, Invasion of the Road Weenies, Punished, and My Rotten Life. His novels are on reading lists across the country, saving countless students from a close encounter with Madame Bovary. His short stories have appeared in the collections of such respected anthologists as M. Jerry Weiss, Don Gallo, and Michael Cart, and in a variety of magazines, including Boy's Life, READ, and Nickelodeon. He has also designed and programmed many video games, but he'd much rather spend his time writing books and hanging out with librarians. He lives in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, with his wife and a variety of cats.

Review

"A visit to the math museum goes horribly wrong when Logan and his pal Benedict, zapped by an experimental robot, discover that they can no longer do math at all. Disastrous for their math grades, their new disability has consequences out in the real world as well. Can they be cured? This sequel to Punished (2006) builds a case for math skills by dramatizing life without them. Lubar uses humor effectively throughout the book, but he also builds dramatic tension as the boys race against the clock to regain their skills through math-oriented challenges. This amusing chapter book makes a good read-aloud choice." ―Booklist Online

(Website)

"After a seemingly mundane field trip to the Mobius Mathematics Museum, best friends Logan and Benedict will never think that math is boring again. Despite Ms. Fractalli's warning, Benedict wanders into an experimental area of the museum and Logan is forced to follow. Their number-filled adventure includes teacher manipulation, colossal puzzles, and new mathematical concepts. After being 'numbed' by a robot, Logan and Benedict begin to understand just how crucial math is to their everyday lives. Youngsters will identify with the characters, whose initial attitude toward math and their class trip is lackluster. What begins as average realistic fiction quickly transitions to a zany number adventure. Lubar's integration of mathematical concepts, such as the Mobius loop and probability, simultaneously teaches and entertains. The simple word choices and vocabulary allow readers to focus on the situations the boys face and not on the lessons behind the story arc. This book will delight teachers and students alike with its wide appeal, zany humor, and vast potential for use in classrooms." ―School Library Journal

(Journal)

"Sixth-graders Logan and Benedict are zapped by a mathematics-loving robot, numbing them to the power of numbers.

Benedict cannot obey the rules, and Logan tries to keep his buddy in check in this over-the-top school fantasy. While on a boring trip to the Mobius Mathematical Museum, Benedict sees a restricted experimental area, roped-off and forbidden. Of course he ducks under the ropes and into danger. Soon, the boys meet Dr. Thagoras and his amazing robot, Cypher. After they insult the robot, he zaps all number knowledge out of their brains. Only relearning math in the controlled environment of the museum will allow them to regain the use of the mathematical parts of their brains. What raises this from sheer silliness is the way the boys earn their math powers back. First, they learn addition and subtraction and think they are done. But no, they need to remaster multiplication and division, geometry and probability as well. The tests the boys have to pass are enjoyable and entertaining, stretching readers' brains and reinforcing the power of math. Teachers will enjoy reading this aloud and challenging their students.

While the plot might be a little thin, the number ideas more than make up for it. The sum of the parts is greater than the whole here, which is probably exactly the point." ―Kirkus Reviews

(Journal)

About this edition

• Publisher: Millbrook Pr
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1467705942
• ISBN 13: 9781467705943
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 144