Fun with Roman Numerals [Hardcover]

David A. Adler (Author), Edward Miller III (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

An accessible text and colourful illustrations add up to fun in this vibrant guide by the celebrated author and illustrator of "Working with Fractions" and "You Can, Toucan, Math." Page IV, Super Bowl XLV. Built in MMVIII. Roman numerals are everywhere---on clocks, in books, and on buildings. But what do Roman numerals mean, and how does one use them? Fun with Roman Numerals is a straightforward and appealing introduction to a timely topic. On a scale of I to X, it's an XI!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2–5—Designed with boldly colored graphics and simple lines, this book takes a contemporary approach to an old topic. While the artwork employs icons and images from ancient Rome, the text introduces Roman numerals by citing modern examples of how they are used: to number chapters and pages in books, on watch faces, and for sports events. Taking a unique approach, Adler suggests that students use coins, each labeled with a specific Roman numeral, to better understand the symbols and how they are written and counted. Several examples are depicted and explained. For the most part, the writing is forthright and easy to understand. However, the page that describes which Roman numerals can be subtracted from which (e.g., "C can only be subtracted from D or M") is a bit confusing. The book ends with a spread of photos showing how Roman numerals are used today, and the back cover presents a helpful list of Roman numerals and their Arabic equivalents. Use this attractive title to supplement Arthur Geisert's Roman Numerals I to MM (Houghton, 1996), which covers the basics and then offers applications with illustrations of pigs.—Erlene Bishop Killeen, Stroughton Area School District, WI
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Review

"This team once again hits a home run....This is the resource for teachers." (Kirkus Reviews )

"Forthright and easy to understand." (School Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (September 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823420604
• ISBN-13: 978-0823420605
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,229,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write both fiction and non-fiction. I begin my fiction with the main character. The story comes later. Of course, since I'll be spending a lot of time with each main character, why not have him or her be someone I like? Andy Russell is based, loosely, on a beloved member of my family. He's fun to write about and the boy who inspired the character is even more fun to know. Cam Jansen is based even more loosely on a classmate of mine in the first grade whom we all envied because we thought he had a photographic memory. Now, especially when my children remind me of some promise they said I made, I really envy Cam's amazing memory. I have really enjoyed writing about Cam Jansen and her many adventures. For my books of non-fiction I write about subjects I find fascinating. My first biography was Our Golda: The Life of Golda Meir. To research that book, I bought a 1905 set of encyclopedia. Those books told me what each of the places Golda Meir lived in were like when she lived there. I've written many other biographies, including books about Martin Luther King, Jr; George Washington; Abraham Lincoln; Helen Keller; Harriet Tubman; Anne Frank; and many others in my Picture Book Biography series. I've been a Yankee and a Lou Gehrig fan for decades so I wrote Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man. It's more the story of his great courage than his baseball playing. Children face all sorts of challenges and it's my hope that some will be inspired by the courage of Lou Gehrig. I am working now on another book about a courageous man, Janusz Korczak. My book One Yellow Daffodil is fiction, too, but it's based on scores of interviews I did with Holocaust survivors for my books We Remember the Holocaust, Child of the Warsaw Ghetto, The Number on My Grandfather's Arm, and Hiding from the Nazis. The stories I heard were compelling. One Yellow Daffodil is both a look to the past and to the future, and expresses my belief in the great spirit and strength of our children. I love math and was a math teacher for many years, so it was fun for me to write several math books including Fraction Fun, Calculator Riddles, and Shape Up! Fun with Triangles and Other Polygons. In my office I have this sign, "Don't Think. Just Write!" and that's how I work. I try not to worry about each word, even each sentence or paragraph. For me stories evolve. Writing is a process. I rewrite each sentence, each manuscript, many times. And I work with my editors. I look forward to their suggestions, their help in the almost endless rewrite process. Well, it's time to get back to dreaming, and to writing, my dream of a job. David A. Adler is the author of more than 175 children's books, including the Young Cam Jansen series. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite book for teaching Roman Numerals, May 23, 2006

By 

MrsBear - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roman Numerals (Young Math Books) (Library Binding)

This book makes Roman Numerals easy to understand. You can learn the system in a few easy lessons. It gives a hands on way to learn for those who like to touch and move things when they learn.

I checked it out from the library for my first born. Found it again for my second born and now have decided to buy it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roman Numbers Made Easy, January 17, 2009

By 

heytodd (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fun with Roman Numerals (Hardcover)

My 9 yr old son can't get enough numbers (and I can't get far enough away from them--shhh, don't tell him).

But this book's fun and simple art and explanation make it a manual even a math loathing mother could love.

By the way, the other edition on "Look Inside" is nothing like this one--frankly I prefer this one to the old.

And who can resist the horse drawn chariot on the cover?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A coverage of Roman numerals that explains and defines their importance for new audiences, December 23, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fun with Roman Numerals (Hardcover)

Roman numerals are on clocks, in books, and on buildings: but what do they mean for modern users? Colorful drawings and interesting ideas lend to a coverage of Roman numerals that explains and defines their importance for new audiences.