Multiplication, Skip Counting and Division Concepts
Africa Counts: Number and Pattern in African Cultures, by Claudia Zaslavsky is a unique resource for understanding other cultures and math development. Adult text, readable, activities suggested. Not specifically for multiplication, but activities facilitate understanding of cultural approaches to multiplication.
Alice in Pastaland: A Math Adventure – Cute picture book, take off on the famous story but with math based storyline
Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream (Marilyn Burns Brainy Day Books)
F Cindy Neuschwander/Marilyn Burns - Wonderful intro to idea of multiplication as fast counting
Anno's Magic Seeds (Picture Books)F Anno, Masaichiro & Mitsumasa – Advanced for addition / subtraction, but see article for ideas how to use with younger ages
Arctic Fives Arrive Pinczes, Elinor J - Skip counting by fives
Arithme-Tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes J. Patrick Lewis
Bats on Parade
by Appelt, Kathi
Bean Thirteen
by Matthew McElligot – Division intro. Two bugs gather 13 beans and try to devise a way to share them evenly. In the end they still have "bean thirteen" left over. Fun book.
Best Ever Math Sticker Book
- Usborne, as far as sticker books go, this one stands out
Bunches of Bunnies Louise Mathews, introduction to multiplication
Cheetah Math: Learning About Division from Baby Cheetahs
Cyberchase F PBS show, hugely popular and valuable 30 minutes - ages 4 to 10 ish? Some fun but heavy duty math!
Digging for Dinosaurs (Math Adventures) - multi concept reader introducing the math used in real life professions
Division (Question of Math) by Cato, Sheila; Sweeten, Sami
Each Orange Had 8 Slices Paul Giganti, Jr - Counting book with skip counting and grouping ideas
Elsie Times Eight Natalie Babbitt, fun story about a girl multiplied by 8 by a inept fairy
Fractals, Googles and Other Mathematical Tales F Pappas, Theoni 1993 Many math concepts, lots with topology, logic and problem solving, wide age range appeal
Galaxy Getaway (Math for Martians) by Ferris, Julie; Tassie, Jane – This is a multi-concept book that uses a story-line to present a series of puzzles using a variety of math skills
Googol Power: Multiplication Vacation DVD
DVD - My kids didn't care that much for the addition / subtraction CD, but the DVD was highly enjoyed and has some math history references in the storyline
Greg Tang Books: The Best Of Times, I did not like this one as much as his others, but it has value - the multiplication is too complex too quickly for intro level, Amanda Bean is better for introducing multiplication; The Grapes of Math - grouping and skip counting; Math Appeal - grouping and skip counting
Hello Math Readers: Just Add Fun! Rocklin - Multiplication. L. 4 / One Hungry Cat F Rocklin - Division, hilarious illustrations, this is a family favorite / Ready or Not, Here I Come! (L. 2) Counting to 100 by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s and 20's. / The 512 Ants on Sullivan Street by Losi, L. 4 - Doubling
Henry and the Boy Who Thought Numbers Were Fleas by Marjorie Kaplan
I Love Math Series - Out of print, but still available . . lots of math concepts
I Love Math Series: See You Later, Escalator!: Mall Math Stories, poems, riddles, games, and hands-on activities introduce early math skills, focusing on the mathematics one might encounter on a trip to the shopping mall.
I Love Math Series: The Mystery of the Sunken Treasure: Sea Math
I Love Math Series: Alice in Numberland (Fantasy Math) Original stories, poems, riddles, games, and hands-on activities reflecting Alice's adventures in Numberland, where she finds mathematical challenges throughout the magical landscape
I Love Math Series: City Math: Look Both Ways Time Life, 1992 Math in Life – multi-concept stories and activities
I Love Math Series: From Head to Toe, Body Math - another in this multi-concept series, math stories and activities around the human body
I Love Math Series: How Do Octopi Eat Pizza Pie?: Pizza Math Time Life, many math concepts including a nice introduction to early fractions and functions, my kids love this one
I Love Math Series: Pterodactyl Tunnel: Amusement Park Math Math puzzles, activities and stories with a dinosaur theme.
I Love Math Series: Right In Your Backyard - Nature Math. F 1992 Math in nature. Beautiful pics, well done book
I Love Math Series: Right In Your Backyard, Nature Math F 1992 Math in nature. Beautiful pics, well done book
I Love Math Series: The Search for the Mystery Planet Space Math, Math and astronomy topics
Marmaduke Multiply's Merry Method of Making Minor Mathematicians
Marvelous Multiplication: Games and Activities that Make Math Easy and Fun by Lynette Long
Math for Smarty Pants by Marilyn Burns – this one is for approximately 4rd grade on up. TONS of different math ideas in this.
Math Potatoes: Mind-stretching Brain Food
Math Smart Junior, 2nd Edition (Smart Juniors Grades 6 to 8)F Lerner, Marcia Princeton Review, 1995 dumb name but great story math book for upper elem, my son read this repeatedly, for older kids (concepts start at addition and move to early algebra)
Math Wizardry for Kids by Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams- activities, stories, games
MathSmart Junior II by Paul Foglino (for upper elem / middle school) – topics not covered in MathSmart I including history, words and numbers, metric system, number bases
MathStart by Stuart Murphy Leaping Lizards (MathStart 1) (Counting by 5s and 10s L.1)
MathStart Readers by Stuart Murphy: Divide and Ride F Nice book on division; Double the Ducks Y Doubling numbers L. 1; Spunky Monkeys on Parade Counting by 2s, 3s and 4s (L2); Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do! F Y Multiplication intro, L3
Minnie's Diner by Dayle Ann Dodds, very fun story about doubling with a surprise ending
Mr. Base Ten Invents Mathematics by Bethany H. Tucker. Very simple story-based math.
Multiplying Menace: The Revenge Of Rumpelstiltskin (A Math Adventure) – unique story involving multiplying by fractions as well as whole numbers
My Full Moon is Square F Pinczes, Elinor J. - Intro to square numbers
Now for My Next Number!: Songs for Multiplying Fun by Margaret Park 0915556383
One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale F by Demi, similar to the King's Chessboard, but set in India, exponential doubling, outstanding illustrations w/foldout pages for the largest numbers
One Hundred Hungry Ants Bonnie 1993 Division, factors, very clever early intro
One Hundred Is A Family by Pat Munoz Ryan - Combinations that make 10, counting up by 10s to make 100.
One Hundred Ways To Get To 100 by Pallotta, Jerry
Planet Omicron (Math for Martians) by Ferris, Julie; Tassie, Jane – Puzzles along with a story line
Playing with Infinity: Mathematical Explorations and Excursions – High school on up level, but starts at the beginning with addition concepts building up to infinity for older readers / adults. Nice explanation of negative numbers.
Remainder of One F Pinczes, Elinor J. 1995 Division, Factors, clever early intro
Riddle-Iculous Math by Joan Holub, fun book, riddles, puns, etc.
Sea Squares F Y Hulme, Joy - Beautiful intro to squaring with marine animals, not busy, could appeal to older kids with artwork
Senefer: A Young Genius in Old Egypt (Young Readers) F by Beatrice Lumpkin - wonderful living book on several accounts, but as Senefer learns the Egyptian way of writing numbers, it emphasizes how number bases are constructed. Addition and multiplication are woven in the story as well.
Socrates and the Three Little Pigs by Mitsumasa Anno - How many ways can three little pigs be placed in five houses so that no two are in the same house? Advanced concepts, but can use for mult & skip counting
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All: A Mathematical Story F Marilyn Burns - Wonderful intro to ideas of division
Speed Mathematics Using the Vedic System by Vali Nasser
Stacks of Trouble (Multiplication, Grs. 1-3, Math Matters)
The 512 Ants on Sullivan Street (Level 4) F by Carol A. Losi - doubling exponentially
The Doorbell Rang F Hutchins, Pat 1986 Multiplication/division/Fun w/cookies
The Essential Arithmetricks (Operations) – A Murderous Maths book by Kjartan Poskitt
The Further Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat by Theoni Pappas – numerous math concepts explored in each chapter
The Grapes of Math: Mind Stretching Math Riddles, Greg Tang (advanced addition, moving into multiplication)
The Great Divide : A Mathematical Marathon Dayle Ann Dodds, nice book on halving
The House that Math Built - House Math, I Love Math Series
The I Hate Mathematics! Book z Burns, Marilyn/Weston, Martha 1975 Genl math/math history. Classic
The King's Chessboard F Birch, David/Grebu 1988 Doubling exponentially (therefore intro to base 2). Based on historical tale
The King's Commissioners (Brainy Day Books) by Aileen Friedman, tallies and grouping to facilitate counting, multiplication
The Multiplication Tables: Colouring Book : Solve the Puzzle Pictures While
The Number Devil F Enzensberger, Hans Magnus/Berner, Rotraut Susanne 1997 Multi-concepts, cute illustrations. Fun classic, very wide appeal, can be read aloud to even very young kids
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster – a classic chapter book with math and language ideas woven in, fantasy
Two Hundred Rabbits Lonzo Anderson and
Two Ways to Count to Ten by Ruby Dee
You Can, Toucan, Math by David A. Adler, Word Problem Solving
Young Math: Building Tables on Tables: A Book about Multiplication by John V. Trivett – not a story line, but a very good introduction to multiplication
Young Math: The Greatest Guessing Game: A Book about Dividing by Robert Froman – unusual book introducing division
Chapter books for older kids covering multiplication and division:
The I Hate Mathematics! Book z Burns, Marilyn/Weston, Martha 1975 Genl math/math history. Classic
Math Smart Junior z Lerner, Marcia Princeton Review, 1995 dumb name but great story math book for upper elem, my son read this repeatedly
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
I Love Math Series - These and other series books have lots of activities for multiplication and division, see listings on the Multi-Concept Series pages