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The Best Of Times
 
 
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The Best Of Times (Hardcover)

~ Gregory Tang (Author), Harry Briggs (Illustrator) "Zero is a cinch to do, the answer's right in front of you..." (more)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
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Frequently Bought Together

The Best Of Times + Grapes Of Math (bkshelf) (Scholastic Bookshelf) + Math For All Seasons (Scholastic Bookshelf)
Price For All Three: $25.51

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  • This item: The Best Of Times by Greg Tang

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The author of The Grapes of Math and Math for All Seasons continues his crusade to make math make sense by taking on the biggest of math bugbears: the multiplication tables!

Greg Tang's proven methods--giving kids tools rather than rules and more memorization--pay off once again, as he uses rhymes and commonsense tricks to walk through the multiplication tables from zero to 10. For example, if you know how to multiply by two ("Two is very fast and fun, quickly double and you're done. What's that you say, be more precise? Okay then, just add it twice!"), then fours ("... please just always double twice!") and eights ("... doubling three times works just great!") should be a cinch. Some of the rhymes are even as clever as Tang's tips: Over a panda pool game, he advises, "Nine is faster to compute if at first you overshoot. Here's a very clever tack, do 10 times and then subtract! What is 9 x 9? It's ten 9's minus 9.... What is 9 x 7? It's ten 7's minus 7."

Tang's text makes for a fun read-along, and illustrator Harry Briggs keeps things interesting with his computer-generated, animal-inspired spreads, with dancing chickens, ice-cream-flinging monkeys, and a fortunetelling cat. Kids won't feel left out of the action either: each section ends with a couple of challenges, and a key in the back spells out all the answers. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes



From Publishers Weekly

The team behind The Grapes of Math and Math for All Seasons follows up with a third title for aspiring mathematicians: The Best of Times: Math Strategies That Multiply by Greg Tang, illus. by Harry Briggs. Tang eschews multiplication tables in favor of emphasizing a better understanding of numbers and quantities. Bouncy, rhyming ditties remind kids, among other things, that 0 times anything is zero ("For every problem it's the same,/ zilch or zero is its name!") Briggs's cheery signature artwork, featuring an active menagerie, keeps the concepts clear and the mood light.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Hardcover: 32 pages
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press; Complete Numbers Starting with 1, 1st Ed edition (September 1, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0439210445
  • ISBN-13: 978-0439210447
  • Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,902 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #34 in  Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Math > Arithmetic

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More About the Author

Greg Tang
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Zero is a cinch to do, the answer's right in front of you. Read the first page
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Best Of Times
63% buy the item featured on this page:
The Best Of Times 4.1 out of 5 stars (7)
$11.53
Grapes Of Math (bkshelf) (Scholastic Bookshelf)
15% buy
Grapes Of Math (bkshelf) (Scholastic Bookshelf) 4.5 out of 5 stars (25)
$6.99
Math For All Seasons (Scholastic Bookshelf)
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Math For All Seasons (Scholastic Bookshelf) 4.4 out of 5 stars (8)
$6.99
Math Potatoes: Mind-stretching Brain Food
6% buy
Math Potatoes: Mind-stretching Brain Food 5.0 out of 5 stars (4)
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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Of Times - A Wonderful Resource!, October 22, 2002
By J. Tam (Ontario) - See all my reviews
As a teacher, this book is a wonderful resource because it does not promote the memorization of multiplication facts, but rather it teaches the reader to problem solve and that there are different ways to approach a problem. As the title suggests, it is full of 'strategies' - when students attempt a mathematical problem of any sort, you want them to have a bank of strategies to draw from. This book is ideal for that. My students enjoyed the playful rhymes, almost musical in a way, as well as the bright, vibrant illustrations of all of Tang's books. Tang has a wonderful way of making math "make sense" for kids. Two thumbs up!
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28 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Not for kids who are struggling to learn their facts!, September 24, 2002
By Jean C. (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
I bought this book thinking it might help my daughter learn her multiplication facts. However, for the strategies explained in this book to help, you'd have to be a math whiz, and also know a fair number of multiplication facts to begin with. For example, this is the strategy for multiplying by 6: "Six is pretty quick to do, just multiply by 3 then 2. If this sounds like too much trouble, triple first before you double!" (!!) Now, this might be handy if the book taught an easy way to triple, but the strategy for multiplying by 3 is: "Three is as easy as can be, if you triple what you see. In other words just add it thrice, this simply is one more than twice!" Simple, hunh? I would have given the book 1 star, but I liked the illustrations.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Very cute, not practical for learning., March 12, 2009
By Trina Miller (Arkansas, USA) - See all my reviews
This is a very cute book. It has multiplication fact rhymes.

However, if your intent is for learning, this product is not for you. I thought it may help my third grader learn his times tables. It uses complicated wording and formulas.

I'm not sure at what grade level this would be useful. I say if you have a child ages 10 (maybe) and up who just love math, go for it.

Otherwise, leave it on the shelf.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute book, but not for someone who has already mastered multiplication
I love Greg Tang's books and his ability to take a subject like math and make it fun, fun, fun. I got this book for my son without seeing it first, and I hoped it was going to be... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Stanley Cup

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
This book has help my six year old understand the concept of multiplication. Thank you so much!!!
Published on January 11, 2007 by Fawn

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST way to teach math
Half of me wants to praise Gregory Tang for doing what so needed to be done. He has shown how to do math what I call "the easy way", the way great mathematical brains do it. Read more
Published on October 22, 2005 by person

5.0 out of 5 stars Math and Literature is a Great Mix
Greg Tang has done it again, combining literature with mathematics and giving a concrete concept of multiplication with pictures and rhyme. A great introduction to multiplication.
Published on July 20, 2005 by Becky L. Powell

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