An Unusual Pattern

The Math Kids #4

by David Cole, Shannon O'Toole (Illustrations)

A cryptic poem The Math Kids are at it again! When their new friend, Special Agent Carlson, asks them to take a look at a cryptic poem written by a dying bank robber, they know they will need all of their math skills to crack the case. A bank robbery
The poem isn't their only problem, though. Their favourite school janitor is fired for stealing from student lockers. The Math Kids know Old Mike would never do anything like that, but how can they prove it, especially with the new janitor watching their every move? A friend is framed
Jordan, Stephanie, Justin, and Catherine will need math, bravery, and a little bit of luck if they hope to solve the bank robbery case and get Old Mike his job back. Will they be able to figure out the unusual pattern in time? Highly recommended, CM Canadian Review of Materials Highly recommended, Midwest Book Review
This middle grade book • Introduces readers to interactive math and logic problems they can applyto real-life situations• Dives into social issues and problem solving• Includes an appendix for hands-on learning

Genres: Middle Grade

120 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 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

[Christi M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a young nephew who doesn’t like to read. In fact, he runs away from me when I say the word ‘book.’ The other day I had the Netgalley site open when he peered over and saw this book. He quickly looked at what it was about and said it looked interesting and told me I needed to read it and tell him if it was good. So, I did and I am very thankful that I can tell him that it was good.

Thoughts:

I rather enjoyed reading this middle grade read. With two mysteries to solve it gave the math kids quite a lot of things to do, but it was never overwhelming or confusing. At the beginning, Special Agent Carlson provided them with a brief description of a cold case and the poem he was hoping they could decipher. Although one might think the FBI cold case would be the main one the kids would be interested in figuring out, the kids heart really appears to be invested into solving the case of their favorite school janitor, which really makes you like them even more.

I was surprised at how entertaining the solving of the cases were. With the school janitor case, they need to figure out how someone might have discovered the locker combinations. I’ll be honest, I’ve never given it any thought to how the locker combinations of my middle school or high school were changed each year. All I knew is that I felt sorry for whomever it was that had to do all of them. I also don’t know if the method described in the book of how they assign locker combinations is true, but it was interesting to go through the process with the kids.

What also interested me was the moral dilemma of how to get a fellow student to confess to something that they had done wrong. They weren’t into completely destroying the individual, but did want to see justice done – and wanted to get janitor Mike back at school. In this day and age where online bullying is far too common, I really appreciated the author showing kids who might read the book a level of empathy and mercy in how fellow students can be treated.

Another great aspect of the book is how at the end of some of the chapters, the author provides science or math related puzzles to think on that are later explained in the Appendix section. This section also includes additional information for certain things that were mentioned in the book that is non-science or math related. In this case, the 7 Wonders of the World had been mentioned and the author provides a little information on each one.

I can definitely recommend this book to middle grade readers and perhaps non middle grade readers who may just want to test their math knowledge a little. Not only does the story contain educational information, but it was an interesting, quick read that all can enjoy.

Rating:5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Common Deer Press for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.

[Ell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this for my son. He just finished forth grade and will be entering 5th grade. He loved this book! He finished it in one day. He immediately asked me if this was part of a series because he wanted to read another one. He was very excited to find out there are currently two more in the series (The Prime-time Burglars and A Sequence of Events). We hope there will be more to come!

[Ravenclaw Library Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in The Math Kids series and having read and loved the 2nd A Sequence Of Events I was happy to be approved for this one.

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

#TheMathKids #NetGalley

[Paula - · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story. Very engaging for young children.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Math Kids have a new task in front of them, thanks to their new friend Agent Carlson. A dying bank robber wrote a poem giving information for locating the second bank robber. However, there is just one problem with this poem. No one seems to be able to solve it. Enter The Math Kids. But this is not the only thing they have to focus on. Their friend, Old Mike, who is the janitor at their school is let go because it appears that he has been stealing. Determined to save their friend and to help Agent Carlson to find the missing bank robber and money, Jordan, Stephanie, Justin and Catherine set out to use their math skills to save the day.

This book not only offers a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of math, it also shows that there is a fun side to using it. The book moves along a good pace, and although it may be a bit simplistic for some readers, it is still a great read. Contained within the book are cute illustrations, as well as information how to solve some math problems. Overall, I believe this is a darling book for younger kids and a great addition to a school library. Thank you to Common Dear Press, David Cole and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Lucy-Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in a series of books, and whilst reading the others would definitely help you know the characters & why they are friends with the FBI, it does stand alone.
The book seems to be aimed at children around the 9-10 age group, and it is age appropriate however some of the language feels a little simplistic for the Maths concepts included. It is a fairly easy read & the emphasis is definitely on the Maths side of the puzzles & sparking the interest of the reader in these rather than in developing their language/reading skills. The characters are fun, and the illustrations work well to support the story, but the plot is a little basic. I was expecting some form of twist or a hurdle in their progress, if only to show children that if you don't get it right the first time, that's ok.

The addition of extra explanations and experiments in the appendix is a great idea!

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Kerrie Hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four 4th graders make up the Math Kids club. In this book they have to solve two mysteries using their math skills and logic.
I think kids in this age group (middle grade) will enjoy reading about the characters and the story. What I liked: The Math Kids were respectful to each other and adults; they weren’t brainiacs who were able to solve the problems immediately – they had to do some thinking; the book had positive messages; no bad language; the appendix included doable science experiments and bonus information for the curious.
This author and series are new to me. I loved it so much, I will find the first two books in the series and read them.
Thank you #NetGalley #TheMathKids #CommonDeerPress for an advanced copy.

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series, and when I got the next book through Netgalley, I had to read it at once. The book is very well written, and as always the plot, story and characters are great. It's also educational in more than just math, and with the illustrations it's perfect. I can't wait for the next one.

[Aileen (Ailz) Grist · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting way to work out real life problems - use math. People often think that the maths they learnt at school is never used again, but we use it in everyday life, we just word it differently, as the Math kids show.
Loved it.

I received a free advance review copy. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

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

I wish I could read this book again for the first time. I have read the first two books and was all too excited to read this 3rd installment! Everything about it was mathematically wonderful.

Highly recommend for 4th and 5th graders, along with the Moms and Dads who adore them.

Read the full review on my blog.