Our world is full of shapes. Shapes in nature, human-made shapes, shapes in art, the list is endless. From learning shape names to exploring more advanced geometrical concepts, the books below introduce famous figures in geometry and shapes in an engaging way.
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Tangled
by Anne Miranda (author) & Eric Comstock (illustrator)
Review: Young readers will enjoy this rhyming story of a circle who gets tangled up in a jungle gym. “Tangled” introduces children to 2D shapes, with some 3D shapes included as the story progresses. Starting with the most instantly recognizable shapes (circle, triangle and square), more complex examples, such as the pentagon, are gradually introduced. The inclusion of shapes and terms such as trapezoid, parallelogram and tetrahedron, will help to further develop the knowledge of older readers of the book.
Suggested Reading Age: 4 – 8 years. Whilst the text is easy to read, the shape categories touched on such as polygons and prisms are applicable for the upper end of this age range.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tips: Shape Spotting: Students look around them to see what shapes they can spot. Repeat this in different rooms and outside.
Shape Study: Students explore the properties of the shapes referred to in the book, identifying the number of sides, vertices, etc.
Euclid: The Man Who Invented Geometry
by Shoo Rayner
Review: The first of two recommendations about groundbreaking mathematicians, this book features Euclid explaining geometrical concepts to his friends. Written in a light-hearted, flowing narrative style, these concepts are explained in an easy to understand way. The accompanying drawings, examples and definitions help to further illustrate the points Euclid is making. This book makes the study of geometry fun and approachable for students, whilst helping to provide a solid understanding of its underlying principles. It would make a worthwhile addition to any library.
Recommended Reading Age: 6 – 12 years. In my opinion, this would appeal more to the upper age of this bracket. Many older students, too, would also benefit from the clear, easy to understand explanation of the concepts addressed.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Read, Pause, Explore, Repeat: When studying geometry, read one chapter of the book, then stop and discuss what students have just discovered. Next, ask the students to explore and work with this concept themselves. Repeat the process with the next chapter.
What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?
by Julie Ellis (author) & Phyliss Hornung (illustrator)
Review: This colourfully illustrated book introduces Pythagoras’ theory in a highly engaging manner. Described as “A Math Adventure”, readers discover Pythagoras’ theorem along with him as he journeys from Samos to Alexandria and back. The visual representation of the concept is particularly helpful for students being introduced to this tenet of geometry or those who are still grappling with it. Highly recommended.
Suggested Reading Age: 7 – 10 years. This could also be used as a read-aloud with middle-grade students to refresh the topic or provide some revision.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tips: Prove It: Students test Pythagoras’ theorem for themselves to see whether it always works.
Keeping It Real: Once students have fully grasped the concept, ask them to find examples of Pythagoras’ theorem in real-life. This helps to reinforce math’s real-world application.
Sir Cumference And The First Round Table
by Cindy Neuschwander (author) & Wayne Geehan (illustrator)
Review: First published in 1997, this book continues to be incredibly popular and comes highly recommended for a reason. Full of word puns and humour, readers are introduced to the geometrical concepts of circumference, radius and diameter in a fun, laugh/groan out loud way. The story follows Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter and their son Radius as they help King Arthur solve his conference table problem! The first in the Sir Cumference book series, other titles are worth checking out too. Golden but olden.
Recommended Reading Age: 8 – 12 years
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tips: Springboard: Use this book as a springboard for students to explore and practise working out the circumference, diameter and radius of a selection of circles. Ask them to set challenges involving calculating various circumferences, etc. Swap with other students to practise their newly acquired knowledge.
Keeping It Real: Discuss when this knowledge would be useful in real-life. How and where can we use it?
Social Studies/Language/ Arts links: Delve into the legend of King Arthur. Did he really exist? Discuss other historical figures from myths and legends. Explore their representation in literature and art.
The Wonder Book of Geometry
by David Acheson
Review: This highly engaging book presents geometrical concepts in an enjoyable, easy to understand way. Clear explanations are accompanied by a wealth of illustrations and diagrams that support the mathematics in the text. Exploring the history of geometry, David Acheson presents essential theorems by Euclid, Thales and Pythagoras, for example, along with insights into numerous topics including “Geometry and Calculus” and “The Story of the Ellipse”. Packed full of information, this book is perfect to dip into when exploring specific geometric concepts or read cover to cover.
Suggested Reading Age: Older teens upward
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Make It Stick: Students create a presentation to represent one of the concepts addressed. This could include background on the concept, who invented it, how it is used, etc. In addition, they also show how they have worked with the formula/concept and the process they went through.
Happy Reading!
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tips
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