Fabulous Fractions: Games, Puzzles, and Activities that Make Math Easy and Fun
Grade 3-6-Comprehensive hands-on introductions to their subjects.  Each book consists of 40 activities, all of which include lists  of the required materials, clear and complete procedures, and a  black-and-white illustration. As the chapters progress, the  activities and concepts become more complex and each one  concludes with brain stretchers (related ideas to explore). In  Fractions, the activities range from coloring pizzas on paper  plates and cutting them out to cutting a sandwich into four  equal parts six different ways. In Measurement, the activities  range from using hands and feet to measure distance to making a  sundial. Some of the projects are time consuming or require a  solid background in mathematics. For example, in Measurement,  readers are instructed to make a 12-inch by 12-inch grid with  markers to create 144 boxes. Then they are directed to cut  pieces of different colored paper into 144 1-inch squares.  Students continue to create a mosaic and then determine the  fractions/percentages of each color. While this is a useful  project, many readers may be overwhelmed by all of the work.  Nevertheless, these books provide valuable activities and games  to help children learn about the concepts.Maren Ostergard,  Bellevue Regional Library, WACopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.