Hopkins Collection

Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems

Selected by: Lee Bennett Hopkins

Illustrated by: Karen Barbour

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1997. Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems. Ill. by Karen Barbour. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.

ISBN: 978-0-689-84442-3

0-689-84442-3

Summary/Review: In the book titled Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems Lee Bennett Hopkins has selected a wide range of poems all pertaining to the subject of math. Many math topics are covered throughout the book. Many of the poems deal with math in everyday life and how math can be applied in just about every situation. Some of the poems deal with mathematical operations as well, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. There is a poem about fractions found in the book, as well as how math can make a person feel.

Some of the poetry found in the book is fairly abstract, while some of it is concrete. Rhyme is in some of the poems, while others use metaphors or similes is to describe the subject of math. The poems in the book would make students understand more about how math is applied in everyday life. It would also help students to understand the concept of there is more to math than just numbers. Karen Barbour provides beautiful and very colorful illustrations, that involve some numbers but not many. Marvelous Math is a great example of how two subjects in curriculum can be combined for further understanding about how the things we learn carry over into different parts of our lives.

To Build A House

Lillian M. Fisher

Here on this plot

Our house will rise

Against the hill

Beneath blue skies

Ruler and tape

Measure the size

Of windows and cupboards

The floors inside

We add, subtract,

Multiply, divide

To build closets and stairs

The porch outside

Without numbers and measure

Would our house ever rise

Against the hill

Beneath blue skies?

Activity: There are so many activities that could go along with this poem. One activity that comes to mind is after reading the poem students could brainstorm other ways math applies to everyday life besides building a house. Students could brainstorm individually or in small groups. After the brainstorming is complete students could share their ideas and then as a class pick one other way math is used in everyday life. After the one topic has been chosen the class writes a poem about that topic together as a whole group.