Falling ever deeper into the curse...
Scieszka, Jon and Smith, Lane. Math Curse. New York, N.Y. : Viking, 1995.
Plot: Math class was innocent enough until the teacher announced that nearly everything could be viewed as a math problem. One student, after carefully considering her statement, finds himself encased in a mathematical curse. Everything becomes a math problem. Each task, even getting dressed, becomes a series of increasingly difficult math problems. Eventually, the hex bleeds into conversations and cupcakes. Only a mind smarter than a word problem can break the terrible curse.
Genre: Picture Books, Math
Reading Level: Grades 4-9
Similar Titles: Science Verse, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
Personal Thoughts: The book cleverly mixes real math anxiety with fantasy results. While some complain about the title's repetition, most sources acknowledge the book's amazing capacity to make math interesting to non-mathematical readers.
Math Curse won a number of awards, including the ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Texas Bluebonnet Award, Booklist: Editor's Choice Award, and The Horn Book Fanfare.
