By: Joanne Anderson Reisberg / Illustrated by: David Hohn

The pocket possibilities are endless

Friday is Zachary Zormer’s favorite day of the week. At least it is until he realizes he forgot this week’s assignment, “Bring in something fun to measure.” Tyler, the class show-off, brings a picture of himself from the newspaper. How can Zack top that when all he has to work with is a piece of paper he finds in his pocket? Week after week Zack takes on a different math concept (length, width, area, perimeter) with surprising projects including a mobius strip, a paper frame large enough to step through, and a light show that demonstrates how the sun heats the earth.

If you like this book, youll enjoy these:
A Very Improbable Story
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Author & Illustrator

Joanne Anderson Reisberg, author

Joanne Anderson Reisberg is a former teacher. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Read more about Joanne.

David Hohn, illustrator

David Hohn is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has worked as an illustrator for more than nine years.

Read more about David.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

A well-explained introduction to the concepts of area, perimeter, length, and width. Each Friday, Ms. Merkle has her students share objects as part of a mathematical show-and-tell. Zachary has a tendency to forget and must use his ingenuity to meet the assignment’s requirements. One week, he uses a piece of paper to create a Moebius Strip, which serves as something to measure. The following Friday, he uses a scrap of paper to make an expanding frame for his lesson on perimeters. For his third assignment, he uses a flashlight to show the area of a rectangle. The text has realistic dialogue, and Zachary’s ability to explain his projects to this classmates ensures that readers also have a very good chance of understanding the lessons. The plot also includes a rivalry between Zachary and another boy to give the most interesting presentation each week. This rivalry is well developed, and readers will recognize the classroom dynamics in action as the story builds. The resolution is believable and positive. Hohn’s illustrations bring the story to life with plenty of detail. Sharp-eyed readers will notice that the blackboard lists the Friday assignments, further reinforcing the terms and concepts. At the end of the book, each of Zachary’s three transformations is explained in well-detailed steps so children can try them on their own. Youngsters will find Zachary’s quick thinking and solid explanation both entertaining and educational.

Downloadables

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Details

Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-57091-876-6

E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-123-9 PDF

Ages: 7-10
Page count: 32
81/2 x 91/2

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