The books were selected to represent a wide range of grade levels and a wide range of mathematics topics. All are books that children enjoy reading. Many children's books have significant, but brief, allusions to mathematical ideas. In general, the examples chosen for this booklet are suitable not only for passing comment but for expansion into a subsequent mathematics lesson or activity. Further Resources Recent elementary school textbook authors have made significant efforts to use children's literature in their mathematics programs.
Some series have stories written exclusively for the mathematics program.
These stories are a valuable resource for teachers and should be used in conjunction with the more general types of children's literature described in this book. Some books involve attitudes toward mathematics rather than any specific mathematical topic. Some books refer explicitly to children's experiences with mathematics in school. The picture is seldom flattering. She is told that the expected answer is 12, and she is then asked what 8 and 4 are.