Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (A Math Adventure) [Paperback]

Cindy Neuschwander (Author), Wayne Geehan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1997 | Age Range: 6 and up | Series: A Math Adventure | Lexile Measure: 600L (What's this?)

Assisted by his knight, Sir Cumference, and using ideas offered by his wife and son, King Arthur finds the perfect shape for his table.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cindy Neuschwander is a mathematics educational specialist. A native Californian, Cindy has lived all over the world. She received a B.A. in International Studies and an M.A. in Education at Stanford University. She currently teaches third grade. Cindy was inspired to write Sir Cumference while living and traveling in England. Besides the Sir Cumference series, Cindy is the author of Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream, 88 Pounds of Tomatoes, The Chocolate Champs.

Cindy lives in California with her husband and two sons.

Illustrator:
Wayne Geehan, a graduate of the Art Institute of Boston, has been illustrating books, board games, and jigsaw puzzles for over 20 years. When he isn't painting in his Massachusetts studio, he enjoys being with his family, reading, and researching his family's genealogy.

Product Details

• Age Range: 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Pub Inc; First Paperback Edition edition (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570911525
• ISBN-13: 978-1570911521
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.2 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Royalty

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars kids loved it October 2, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

While parts of the story seemed a bit far-fetched, my 5th grade students loved the play on words in the characters' names. They also enjoyed seeing how a rectangle was changed to create other polygons (and finally a circle). At the end of the reading, one student said, "I'll never forget THESE math terms!" I suppose I achieved my objective. The kids didn't much care for the illustrations, however. They created their own!

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute story....the kids love it! November 24, 2001

By Terri D. Poposky

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book creatively exposes the reader to some common geometric terms. Although I would not say it is extremely educational, it is the most mathematically educational story book I've ever seen (because most story books are not about math). My three year old daughter thought the book was for her, and asked to have it read to her every night. She loved it! My 11 year old son is really too old for the book, but he still liked it.

50 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for early elementary age kids March 6, 2003

By C. Bauer-Reich

Format:Paperback

I read this to my seven year old. He found the story very interesting and runs about laughing about things like diameter and circumference. He remembers the names, and the way the measurements are presented is very conceptual. Great for young kids, but above third grade or so, I'd say it may not do a whole lot except for help remember the names. It was a *cute* story, not anything very dramatic, and was appropriate for young children.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Can learning math and geometry be FUN??? June 12, 1999

By Paula Erhart-Clouse

Format:Paperback

This book answers that question with a resounding "YES!" To call a children's book "riveting" may seem a bit pretentious, but my husband and I could not put this book down! Each page is filled with "new" characters from King Arthur's court you'll never forget! The amazing characterizations of math and geometry make this book one of the best learning tools I've found yet. Parents, no longer approach the "dreaded subject" of teaching math to your kids with fear...Sir Cumference is truly our "knight in shining armor!"

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What a fun way to explain circles!!!! April 21, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This is a great book for all ages. I used it with my 7th grade math class to help explain circles and how we measure them. They loved it. They all paid attention and learned from this fun book.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Classroom Friendly April 10, 2005

By paulabear

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have used this book with 6th, 7th and 8th graders. They all enjoyed it and always seem to remember the circle concepts now. Great for middle school teachers to use!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Way Of Sneaking In Math! August 5, 2006

By Jo

Format:Paperback

My daughter has always had a problem learning Math but reading this book (along with the others in this series) has helped her immensely! The books themselves are a bit young for her but the concepts in them (Pi, Geometry, etc) are explained in a way I think she needed.

I would recommend these to anyone who has a child with problems in math concepts.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable July 8, 2000

By Charles R. Williams

Format:Paperback

I'm not a connoiseur of children's literature. But I will be teaching high school math in about a year and used this book for a math methods class. I enjoyed the humor and the art. The reading level is about 4th grade and so is the math content. Most of the book illustrates in a amusing way just how circles are different from other geometric shapes and how these differences affect the design of everyday objects. The book ends by tying the definition of circumference, radius and diameter to the names and actions of the main characters in the story.

However, the story line is marred by a certain tedious political correctness in that the outsiders who appear to threaten the realm are not really a threat - it's all a misunderstanding. This hollows out the content of the ideal of the knight (or soldier or policeman), a hero who employs his strength at the risk of his own life to defend the more vulnerable members of the community from villains and the community itself from outside threats.