A Sequence of Events (The Math Kids)

The Math Kids #2

by David Cole

The Math Kids Club is back! After solving the case of the prime-time burglars, The Math Kids, Jordan, Justin, and Stephanie are ready to return to the original purpose of their solving math problems. And the district Math Olympics is the perfect opportunity to do just that. But before they can enter the competition, they need a fourth teammate. Faced-paced action adventure! The Math Kids set their sights on Catherine Duchesne.
Even though Catherine has been quiet in class, she knows some really cool math tricks that are sure to help The Math Kids win the competition. A kidnapper strikes
But when Catherine doesn't show up for school Jordan, Justin, and Stephanie spring into action to help their new friend.
This middle grade book

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens

132 pages, Paperback

Published June 7, 2019

About the author

My background has always been in the technical areas - math, mechanical engineering, and computer science. I've done everything from designing missile guidance systems to teaching computer science classes at the college level to designing data center monitoring tools for Facebook and at my own two companies.

I've always enjoyed writing, winning several short story contests, writing more than a dozen plays which have been performed, writing articles in technical magazines in the US and Europe, and writing The Math Kids series.

The Window is my first novel.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it is a while ago but when I was growing up and going to school I loved maths. I was not much of a reader but adored Tom Sawyer and Emil and the Detectives.
The thing is, the best adventures for children seem to be where there is a mix of boys and girls like the famous five. Well the Math Kids are two girls and two boys all deferring to each other and recognising each other’s talents. Knowing the strength of their group is the sum of its parts. (Poor humour).
Well this is the story of these intrepid four who love maths and have the consequential skills to solve problems. Making them ideal suited as young detectives.
In this second instalment three become four as a fourth member is needed to enter a maths competition. That person is Catherine, a quiet girl who loves numbers, the clever aspects of maths and especially the Fibonacci Sequence and 55.
Her Dad is a maths teacher and for some reason leaves his daughter thinking maths is just for boys.
Now this is at odds with the book that uses this slur to demonstrate that there is equality in all things. Except perhaps the school bullies here, that seem to be all male losers.
What I liked especially is the overwhelming joy and wonderment in numbers. The enticing problems are expanded and their solutions explained. This is part of the story, where the illustrations back up this clever tale of quizzes, tests and calculations. The appendix goes on to explain some of the more intricate problems posed. While throughout the story time is given to have a go at some of the questions.
I believe this book will appeal to all young people who like adventures. Anyone who has an interest in maths will really enjoy the story and the constant references to calculations and problem solving.
The crime that is solved is very cleverly set up and the kids are fearless in their pursuit of those involved.
It makes numbers fun and being young the best time of your life as the Math Kids demonstrate.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love this group of friends! And in this book we add another kid to the mix, new girl Catherine. She is such a great addition. I loved the mystery involved and how these kids work together (along with their favorite subject- MATH) to get to the answer! This is a great series for kids and look forward to more books in this series.

[Rajiv · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley and Common Deer Press for sending me an advanced e-copy of the book.

I thought “A Sequence of events” was a great continuation to the “Prime-time Burglars”. I enjoyed reading the previous book for my love of math, and 2nd book is equally good, if not better. Moreover, I loved how the author incorporates various math concepts like the pigeonhole principle, factorials and Fibonacci sequence into the plot. I especially loved the example that Catherine gives Stephanie using flowers for the Fibonacci sequence. The author also gives a few challenging questions to the protagonists and the readers as part of the math competition. As an adult, it also took me sometime to properly analyse and solve them.

In terms of the plot, I found the plot of this book more intriguing than the predecessor. Catherine’s father has been kidnapped, and it is up to the gang to save them. It was so much fun to read as to how they use various math skills to save him! The only problem I had with the plot was that the way the kids confront the kidnappers and save Catherine’s father was done in a light-hearted manner. In reality, these kinds of situations are very dangerous and I felt that the author has not seriously highlighted the implications on how they probably shouldn’t have taken the matter into their own hands. Furthermore, In terms of the characters, I really like Catherine as a new addition to the gang. In fact, I thought she was a better character than Stephanie.

I feel this is one of the very few children’s novels that I am enjoying thoroughly as an adult. I cannot wait for third book in the series to come out! Overall, “The Math Kids – A sequence of events” is a great continuation to the Math Kid series. Readers of any age would enjoy reading this one.

[Mulder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Common Deer Press for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because I had previously requested and read the first Math Kids Book and enjoyed it. This one was like the other one in that the Math Kids had to solve a real world problem using math. In this one they got a new team member and competed as a team of 4 in a math competition.

I enjoyed this one just as much as I did the first, It's such a fun book to read. I love that the author continues to add in little sections telling you to stop if you want to try and figure out the math problem for yourself before reading what the Math Kids do.

As I said before, this is a great book for kids who don't like math to be exposed to it in a fun way! I would definitely recommend you read this, or have your kids/nieces/nephews/grandchildren/etc. read it.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers fore sending me a copy of this book!

[Anam Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so impressed with this story even though I found some of it to be a bit unrealistic. How many fourth-graders are so well versed in factorials and square roots that they can solve the initial problem given the math kids by their teacher?

In my wildest dreams, I cannot imagine such a fourth-grader. That said, I love the explanations given for each math problem the children face. Although they might only learn the most basic facts about factorials, this gives a good basis for better understanding in the future. The chapter on how math is seen in art is wonderful and this is the best explanation I have ever seen for the Fibonacci sequence.

I must read the first book in this series to see how the Math Club forms and look forward to another edition later this year.

[Erica (The Literary Apothecary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could read Math Kids again for the first time.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read.

Highly recommended for girls who love math, but often feel slighted. They will enjoy the new addition to the Math Kids, as Catherine and Stephanie have a delightful discussion on the issue.
Any kid (or adult) who loves math and logic will find extreme delight in this tale. Plus, the illustrations are so cute and strategically placed.

[Ise'S Wilbr]

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[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly I am a mathematics teacher to children from grades 4 - 9. I am constantly looking out for books which promote the enjoyment of mathematics and fight the gender stereotypes associated with it. I had high hopes that this book would do that.

The mathematics in the book was well explained and on an appropriate level for a younger child to grasp. I really enjoyed the dialogue that happened between the characters whilst discussing the problems. There is a small error in an illustration of the fibonacci spiral but other than that the math is all correct.

Despite having beautiful math and mathematical teachings, I would not recommend this book to my students. The book speaks about the 'bullies'. The characters in the math kids club constantly refer to them as stupid and have nick names they call the 'bullies' behind their backs. By doing this they are clearly engaging in bullying behaviour themselves. These interactions promotes a couple of horrible stereotypes:
- people who struggle with math are stupid
- people who bully others are stupid
- people who have a natural talent with math are picked on

The book attempts to dispel the myth that girls are worse at math than boys. It does a good job in speaking directly to that issue in one conversation, however this myth is still portrayed in some of the other interactions between the characters.

[Ravenclaw Library Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters were great and I loved that they used maths to solve the case. I loved this book so much and cannot wait for the third installment of this series. I am also going to read the first book in the series to see how the group came together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Common Deer Press for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is a math adventure, with lots of math tied into the story. The characters are great and believable, and the prose is just right for this book. Excellent!