Whodunit Math Puzzles [Paperback]

Bill Wise (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

Help! A series of outrageous crimes must be solved--and only someone with superior math and logic skills can do it. That means you, right? Count on an exciting time when you join law enforcement's finest--Midville Police Chief Arthur Smart and 12-year-old junior detective Cal Q. Leiter--as they uncover scam artists, catch vandals, nab hit-and-run drivers, and unravel many more mysteries. Just remember: numbers are the key to unlocking the answers!

· How much money did Gertrude Gessler leave in her will to divide among her four nephews?
· What tricks did the carnival vendor use to cheat the Chief's cousin in a game of luck?
· Who vandalized the Mayor's office while she was away--and how can you prove it with arithmetic?

What are the odds you can figure these out? Pretty good--if you read carefully and think hard, the facts all add up.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Kids who consider themselves math whizzes may want to match wits with junior detective Cal Q. Leiter, who uses his mathematical genius to solve crimes and puzzles that baffle his friend, the local police chief. Each of the 22 chapters presents a new challenge for Cal. Simple, attractive ink drawings illustrate most of the stories and help maintain the light tone of the presentation, which recalls the innocent charm of books featuring Cal's literary predecessors, Encyclopedia Brown and Einstein Anderson. Although some of the problems require knowledge that readers may not yet have acquired in school, the clearly presented solutions are readily available at the back of the book. Recommended for dedicated, mathematically inclined puzzle fans. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Can you solve these outrageous crimes using your superior math and logic skills? You are there at the scenes where the despicable deeds occured. Sort through the facts and analyze the clues left behind. Just remember, numbers are the key to unlocking the answers. Whodunit? You'll have a great time trying to figure it out.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (March 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806980737
• ISBN-13: 978-0806980737
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #513,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent math puzzles for the middle school child, February 3, 2002

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Whodunit Math Puzzles (Hardcover)

My son likes math puzzles, so when he saw that this book was available, he purchased it through the scholastic books program at his school. He enjoyed it and so did I. It consists of 22 problems presented in the form of math puzzles. Each puzzle is roughly four pages in length and solutions to all are in the back of the book. The writing is well done and the problems posed are at the middle school level.
Most of the problems involve crimes and what is nice about the stories is that the problems blend so well with the situations. One of the main and valid criticisms of textbook problems is that they are so artificial. There is none of that here. The problems are fresh, interesting and present mathematics in a realistic light. If your children have an interest in math, then you should buy them this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whodunit Math Puzzles, April 20, 2002

By 

A. Davis "abbielan" (Wichita, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Whodunit Math Puzzles (Hardcover)

This is an excellent, non-threatening way to introduce math in the real world to children. Cal's adventures are short, and require problem solving skills that everyone needs to practice. This book is not just for the mathematically inclined. It is for children of all ages looking for a riddle to solve.