Early Book Review: Sir Cumference and the 100 PerCent Goose Chase by Cindy Neuschwander, Wayne Geehan

Sir Cumference and the 100 PerCent Goose Chase, written by Cindy Neuschwander and illustrated by Wayne Geehan is currently scheduled for release on October 31 2023. Percilla Centwell and Lady Di are off to Gaggleston-on-Green to deliver Percilla's flock of one hundred geese to the townspeople who ordered them. When some of the geese go missing on the way, Percilla and Lady Di must figure out a way to make sure all of the customers still get their fair share of the flock. In this latest medieval math adventure, readers learn about finding percents as part of a whole by using fractions. The endnote includes step-by-step instructions for calculating percent.

Sir Cumference and the 100 PerCent Goose Chase is another book in this fun, and sneakily educational, picturebook series. I think the story was clever and entertaining, while helping readers get a better working understanding of percents. I thought the art did a great job of enhancing the story, and keeping readers engaged. I have yet to be disappointed by the clever and entertaining notions of this series, and this one met all my expectations and left me wishing I was working with children's books again.

Audiobook Review: A Brief History of Timekeeping: The Science of Marking Time, from Stonehenge to Atomic Clocks by Chad Orzel, Narrated by Mike Lenz

A Brief History of Timekeeping: The Science of Marking Time, from Stonehenge to Atomic Clocks was written by Chad Orzel and narrated by Mike Lenz. Predating written language and marching on through human history, the desire for ever-better timekeeping has spurred technological innovation and sparked theories that radically reshaped our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Chad Orzel, a physicist and bestselling author, continues his tradition of demystifying thorny scientific concepts by using the clocks and calendars central to our everyday activities as a jumping-off point to explore the science underlying the ways we keep track of our time. Ancient solstice markers depend on the basic astrophysics of our solar system; mechanical clocks owe their development to Newtonian physics; and the ultra-precise atomic timekeeping that enables GPS hinges on the predictable oddities of quantum mechanics. Along the way, Orzel visits the delicate negotiations involved in Gregorian calendar reform, the intricate and entirely unique system employed by the Maya, and how the problem of synchronizing clocks at different locations ultimately required us to abandon the idea of time as an absolute and universal quantity. Sharp and engaging, A Brief History of Timekeeping is a story not just about the science of sundials, sandglasses, and mechanical clocks, but also the politics of calendars and time zones, the philosophy of measurement, and the nature of space and time itself.

A Brief History of Timekeeping is a thorough and fascinating description about how people throughout history have calculated, marked, and understood time. I thought that the history of calendars, clocks, and all the theories and math that surround them was well explained and that the information about the people involved, and the day to day aspects, made it more accessible. I will admit that there were moments deep into the numbers of physics that I felt a bit over my head, I think that if I had the print version of the book to look at the charts and calculations rather than listening to the numbers being read off it might have felt slightly easier to follow. I think the narrator did a great job of conveying the information with good tone and inflection, as I do not think I could have made it through the more complicated bits if the narrator had been less skilled. I liked the honesty and humor that came into play on occasion- acknowledging that many of the calendar and time decisions were based on politics as much as math and practicality. I also liked that the author disclosed any connection to certain figures in the history, to avoid any potential claims of favor. I thought the book as a whole was interesting, well balanced, and informative. I even gained a new favorite word- perturbation. 

A Brief History of Timekeeping is an informative and engaging look at the history of how people have looked at time. 

Early Book Review: Friends Change the World: We Are the NASA Scientists by Zoë Tucker, Amanda Quartey

We Are the NASA Scientists, written by Zoë Tucker and illustrated by Amanda Quartey, is part of the Friends Change the World series and is currently scheduled for release on November 30 2021. This picture book tells the story of two scientists who worked together side by side to send humans into space. Mary Jackson was super smart. She loved math and science, and she loved to learn. When Mary got a job at NASA, it was a dream come true! But this was a time when Black people were segregated from white people, and Mary had to fight hard for every opportunity. In 1953, Mary started working alongside Kaz Czarnecki. They soon realized how much they could share and teach each other. The two were from completely different backgrounds, but it didn't matter at all—they had so much in common. This was the beginning of a friendship that lasted for decades. Together, they worked on amazing experiments and achieved incredible things, like working to land astronauts on the moon.

We Are the NASA Scientists is a well written book that shares the story of how two scientists came together to make great discoveries and small changes towards equal right while following their dreams. I liked the honest and straight way prejudice and discrimination was  handled. It showed that treating people differently because of race or gender was wrong, but still focused on the persistence, intelligence, and determination of the people involved. I liked the way the support of family, friends, and colleagues was included in that as well, because overcome systemic barriers usually require some encouragement and support. I thought the illustrations were well done, showing the emotions of the individuals and hinting at things were not outright stated but important to Mary's story. 

Book Review: Calculated Risks (InCryptid) by Seanan McGuire

Calculated Risks is the tenth book in the InCryptid series by Seanan McGuire. It is the second book in Sarah's point of view. I highly recommend reading this series in order (not just because I love it, but because it will help with the nuances of character personality and motivation). If you do not want to start from the very beginning, at least start with the beginning of Sarah's story arch. 

Just when Sarah Zellaby, adopted Price cousin and telepathic ambush predator, thought that things couldn't get worse, she's had to go and prove herself wrong. After being kidnapped and manipulated by her birth family, she has undergone a transformation called an instar, reaching back to her Apocritic origins to metamorphize. While externally the same, she is internally much more powerful, and much more difficult to control. Even by herself. After years of denial, the fact that she will always be a cuckoo has become impossible to deny. Now stranded in another dimension with a handful of allies who seem to have no idea who she is--including her cousin Annie and her maybe-boyfriend Artie, both of whom have forgotten their relationship--and a bunch of cuckoos with good reason to want her dead, Sarah must figure out not only how to contend with her situation, but with the new realities of her future. What is she now? Who is she now? Is that person someone she can live with? And when all is said and done, will she be able to get the people she loves, whether or not they've forgotten her, safely home?

Calculated Risks is a continuation of a great story on so many levels. Sarah has fought so hard to come back to herself- only to get kidnapped and bring about dimensional travel and mayhem. Trying to figure out how it all happened, and how to fix it, she has to deal with the mental gaps the whole thing has caused in her family and the innocent bystanders that have gotten caught up in the whole thing. I think that as usual, the depth of character and world building here is fantastic, even the secondary and even less important characters have complexity to them, and feel real even if readers do not get all the details about them. I felt for the college kids trapped on campus, the strangers they meet, and the depth of history and emotion forgotten by Sarah's core support system. Fans of the author and series will need to read this, anyone foolish enough to start here will be utterly lost and confused (but hopefully inspired to go back and start at the beginning). My only disappointment is the same that I feel at the end of each of these books- that this part of the story is over and I have to wait for the next installment.  

Calculated Risks is exactly what I needed from this series, it left me satisfied but craving more. 

Book Review: Imaginary Numbers (InCryptid) by Seanan McGuire

Imaginary Numbers is the ninth book in the InCryptid series by Seanan McGuire. While I do suggest reading the series in order, and as a series, the books can stand fairly well on their own but newcomers will be missing out on some great backstory and character references that enhance the read. Since this is the first story from Sarah's perspective, there are worse places to start.  

Sarah Zellaby has always been in an interesting position. Adopted into the Price family at a young age, she's never been able to escape the biological reality of her origins: she's a cuckoo, a telepathic ambush predator closer akin to a parasitic wasp than a human being. Friend, cousin, mathematician; it's never been enough to dispel the fear that one day, nature will win out over nurture, and everything will change. Maybe that time has finally come. After spending the last several years recuperating in Ohio with her adoptive parents, Sarah is ready to return to the world--and most importantly, to her cousin Artie, with whom she has been head-over-heels in love since childhood. But there are cuckoos everywhere, and when the question of her own survival is weighed against the survival of her family, Sarah's choices all add up to one inescapable conclusion. This is war. Cuckoo vs. Price, human vs. cryptid, and not all of them are going to walk away.

Imaginary Numbers is another well written story from McGuire, with dynamic characters and a healthy dose of danger. I have been wanted more from Sarah for a long time, and I am extremely glad to have this story. I got much more action that I really expected, and a little less Artie and Sarah together, but everything worked together quite well and I was happy with the way it all came together. I enjoyed getting inside Sarah's head, quite literally. There were a couple twists I did not expect, some explanations that tied some things up for me, and a few twists that I am hoping to see pop up in the next book. I do not want to go into too much detail, because it was a great ride and I want everyone to enjoy it as much as I did. My biggest complaints are that I missed the book before this somehow, which I am off to rectify now, and the story ended in such a way that I am pretty desperate for the next instalment already. 

Imaginary Numbers is a must read for the McGuire's fans, and a solid story for other readers that might want to dive in to her well crafted worlds. 

Book Review: Math in Nature by Nancy Dickmann

Math in Nature by Nancy Dickmann is a nonfiction book for children. It can help them learn about number patterns in a sunflower, the reason behind the shape of a honeycomb, and all about the Fibonacci sequence. High impact photographs will interest and engage readers as they learn about mathematical concepts they can find outside their own front door. 

Math in Nature is a book for older readers than I expected from the cover and initial description. I thought I was about to open an easy reader, but the text and concepts are for elementary school and middle grade readers, which made it much more engaging book for me. Some of the concepts were easy to understand, like symmetry, fractals, and spirals in nature, while others were a little more challenging, like the Fibonacci sequence. I think the images and explanations are paired together well, and it makes the reading as entertaining as educational. I liked the activities to further engage readers and that there is a full glossary, answers to the activities, and more math facts included at the end of the book.

I think this book would be a great addition to school and classroom libraries, as well as personal libraries for those that homeschool of have interested readers at home.

Book Review: Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics by Tabitha Williams

Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics by Tabitha Williams is a full-color, non fiction book that takes a look at the forgotten influence of women in the development of mathematics over the last two thousand years. The book is divided in three parts: I - The Pioneers, II - From Code Breaking to Rocket Science and III - Modern Math Mavens, detailing the careers and achievements of thirty women scientists, with brief mentions of few others. The book brings mathematic powerhouses like astronomer-philosopher Hypatia, theoretical physicist Emmy Noether, and rocket scientist Annie Easley to life for readers and helps us understand that trailblazing women have always existed, we just do not always know their stories unless we take the time to discover them.

Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics is a wonderful and long overdue book. I thought I knew a great deal about the women that have helped shape the world of technology, science, and mathematics. However, this book showed me that I only knew a small number of the women that made such huge impacts on the world. I learned about some women I had never heard of, and learned more about some that I though I knew much more about. Anyone that thinks they cannot make an impact, or that a particular field is not for them because of prejudice or culture, I urge you to read the book. The pictures included with the text about these dynamic women make them more real, and helps the reader connect with them and relate their own lives to those of these women- giving them the inspiration to forge their own path. 

Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics is an inspirational and informative book. I hope that it encourages others to follow their dreams, and to do the work they love regardless of what society and culture might tell them.