Customer Reviews

The Shark Swimathon (Mathstart: Level 3 (HarperCollins Library))

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a book that is good on so many levels --

+ goal setting
+ team work
+ tallying
+ subtraction

There is merit in the story itself -- a group works together to meet a goal. And there is real math value -- the double-digit subtraction is clear to understand and presented in several formats -- verbal (as you say the subtraction aloud), visual (as you see the subtraction problem solved) and as part of the text.

This book is a keeper.

We like reading about swimming, there are not too many swimming books and the story makes the math practical and fun,

The Sharks of Ocean City are trying to go to the state swim camp. Their coach tells them the city newspaper will sponsor the team if they can swim 75 laps in one day before the end of the week. The humorous story's plot hangs on subtracting double digits. The cutesy illustrations of fish in swimwear may be amusing to younger children, they did not appeal to me. This is another book in the MathStart series. It has suggested activities and names of some other skill-related books at the end.