Awesum Alex: The Subtraction Problem

Gray is apprehensive about her first day at her new school, until she meets PI, a tiny math guru who assures her that she will meet and befriend other mathematically precocious students like herself. Mrs. Googol-Plex’s classroom is a magical place where Gray, Alex, and friends learn simple and surprising new ways to understand subtraction.

Because the characters in the story learn about subtraction primarily through the use of money, this book comes with a packet of fake money that students can use to practice with.

The Awesum Alex books present math concepts to children within the context of a story about children who learn in a fun and magical classroom with a teacher who is just as excited to share what the children are discovering. The characters, brilliantly illustrated by Christopher Tice, question the procedures that are taught in the regular classroom and come to enjoy and understand the concepts that underlie mathematics. For many, the explanations of math concepts may be the means to understanding math truly for the first time.