Algebra \u0026 Geometry: Anything But Square! (Basher Science) by Dan Green

Algebra \u0026 Geometry: Anything But Square! (Basher Science) Reviews

• 
  Jacob

  I was curious about this series to see if it really was educational in a way that engages kids. My two or three older kids (ages 3-9) have certainly picked this up repeatedly and looked at it, and even read parts of it. When I read through it to see why they kept checking it out, but never stuck with it for very long, I think I figured it out. The illustrations are pretty interesting and the anthropomorphic interpretations of math concepts are interesting, but then the math related text is kind of dry. It's not something you'd want to read straight through -- I know because I did so. I wish they'd put more effort into explaining the meaning of the concepts in a creative way so the meaning stuck better in a person's mind, instead of just naming the concepts and giving them quirky personalities.
  
  However, I think there is a place for books like this that are semi-educational and semi-entertaining, which is as a reference book. Younger kids can look at things in here and get a taste of what they might learn later, and older kids can come back and get a reminder about the math concepts inside.
• 
  Karen

  My third-grade son loves these Basher books. I know he likes them mostly because of the quirky illustrations. But I also know he has learned facts from them -- facts that may not have made sense to him at the time he learned them, but later he was able to relate what he had learned from these books to what he was learning in school.
• 
  Mary Potter-Henderson

  Cute way to introduce math vocabulary. This would be an asset in any upper elementary classroom to middle school. There are a couple of grammar mistakes and some vocabulary is assumed to be already understood. However, the presentation is well done and the grouping of the chapters helps with synchronizing understanding. I feel it would lead to great discussions in a classroom!
• 
  Isaac

  It was okay.
• 
  Tracy

  For the kids, this will be good. I wish I had a visual book about math when I was kid. It's not simple, and some of these concepts I've never studied in HS or college. It would be good for the already math-interested kid or the reluctant one. As an adult, I gripe about the Greek-focused history. A lot of math was happening in the Middle East and Asia long before the Greeks and this Western-focused book, with the origins of Algebra in the Arabic Middle East and Pi in Mesopotamia. Nonetheless, if you have a visual, narrative kid you're having trouble getting interested in math, try this. I really like the Basher Science series.
• 
  Sally

  Basically dumbed down kids' encyclopedias with irrelevant kawaii-style illustrations. Might be useful in a situation where relying on a variety of books/explanations helps bring a difficult point home, but not a very good stand-alone series.
• 
  Karen

  My fourth grade son is using a protractor in his Math class now. But angles and measuring angles are not new concepts to him -- because he had already read this book. He feels like a pro, and that makes this mom pretty happy.
• 
  Dillon Evans

  it was good it taught me what i needed to now for 7th grade and 8th grade its really handy.
• 
  Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy)

  Uses humor and fun to help explain math concepts. Somethings still seemed a bit difficult to understand, but may be me.
• 
  Crafty

  Just figure out how much fun math can be with Basher helping!!
• 
  Brian

  It was a quick read despite what the start and finish dates would indicate.
• 
  Renee

  3.5 The illustrations are super cute. The series is Basher Science.