A Higher Geometry [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Sharelle Byars Moranville (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2006

Anna loves math, and her boyfriend, Mike. Will she have to choose between them?

Anna Conway sometimes wishes her relationships would come as easy to her as math does. A natural math talent, Anna is at odds with what’s expected of her as a teenager in the 1950s. While Anna aspires to leave her small town for college to study mathematics, her parents want her to follow the more traditional path of getting married and starting a family. Anna’s never really thought of dating before, but when she meets Mike, their relationship takes off and goes further than she’d ever expected. Now it’s up to Anna to make her future happen. But how will she choose?

 

In beautiful prose, Sharelle Byars Moranville explores the importance of believing in dreams in order to make a difference.

 

A Higher Geometry is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–Fifteen-year-old Anna is a math wiz. Unfortunately, mathematics was not a common pursuit of girls or women in the 1950s and the teen sees what pursuing a career in math has cost her teacher, Mrs. Ballard. While the story line begins by focusing on Anna and her desire to win over her skeptical parents, attend a math competition at a nearby university, and attend college, it takes a somewhat abrupt turn when she begins dating basketball star Mike Dillon. Her concerns about the relationship are foreshadowed in conversations she has with others about classmates who left school when they became pregnant, and in her discussions about her faith. By the end of the novel the focus flips back to the math competition. Readers are likely to enjoy the romance and period details, but some may lose interest when the strands of the story do not meld.–Kimberly Monaghan, formerly at Vernon Area Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-11. Following Over the River (2002), Moranville offers another graceful story set in the rural Midwest after World War II. In 1959 high-school-student Anna is a brilliant young mathematician, but she feels that her male peers view her as "a poodle that could do cute tricks: charming, but of no real value in the world." Then Anna begins a romance with caring, artistic Mike, and as their feelings deepen, so does Anna's quiet determination to pursue her talents. Anna's authentic, first-person voice is as unadorned as the story's landscape, but Moranville creates poetry in the rich details: the cold war dialogue ("We've got to catch up with the Russians"); the private spaces where Mike and Anna talk frankly about sex and faith; and the male-dominated classrooms where Anna falls in love with math. "We're off the map," Mike tells Anna. "We're not where the world expects us to be." Readers will easily connect with the romance that's both thrilling and nurturing and with Anna's steady resolve to follow her passion for numbers and challenge a world of expectations. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805074708
• ISBN-13: 978-0805074703
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,279,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Every day I write. And every now and then, blissfully, I actually sell a book. I'm always thrilled when someone reads one of them and tells me how it makes them feel. When I read, I like to be moved. Good books make me cry. Great books make me laugh and cry. Think THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP or MICK HARTE WAS HERE. I'm a writer, teacher, and gardener. I used to be a social worker. I want to be a . . .

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an Amazing Book!, September 15, 2006

By 

Eileen Boggess - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Higher Geometry (Hardcover)

A Higher Geometry by Sharelle Byars Moranville does the impossible: it combines math, the space race, and adolescent love into one compelling read! I mean, who knew Sputnik would inspire a page-turning love story?

Set in the 1950's, A Higher Geometry tells the story of a teenage girl named Anna who excels in math during a time period when girls were only expected to learn how to be a good housewife someday. The only thing that saves Anna from from an unfulfilled life is the Russians' space mission Sputnik. Suddenly, the United States is in a race to land on the moon and the government needs young minds that excel in math.

In addition to Anna breaking the academic sterotypes of the time, she also breaks the rules when it comes to love and sexuality. So, if you like reading about a unique time period and a strong female character, I definitely recommend A Higher Geometry!

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully crafted, September 9, 2011

By 

wendyd - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Higher Geometry (Hardcover)

Though set in the late 1950s, Anna Conway's story is relevant for today's teen girls. With dreams of college and an aptitude for mathematics, Anna strives to balance love and ambition. Beautifully crafted and thought-provoking.

4.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ ME!!!!!!!!!, October 22, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A Higher Geometry (Hardcover)

The book, A Higher Geometry, takes place in the old days when girls get raised, and taught how to be good house wives and good moms; but, in Anna's case she doesn't want to be a good house wife and have a good career in math.

Anna has a boyfriend named Mike. He is like her whole life to her. Anna gets an offer to go to college in Chicago, she is scared to hear what her dad will say about it. She also doesn't know if she wants to go and never see Mike.

The author Sharelle B. Moranville really did a great job on combining a math story with a romance story. This book may be a little confusing when it talks about math; but, it is a great story when it gets to Anna's love life. I strongly recommend this book for girls that really like romance stories.