Why It Works
Middle school math is the focus of this book because it is so critical. During middle school you build a mental foundation for the subjects you’ll take in high school and even college.
That’s why I think anybody can benefit by reading this book. It is written in plain language and the concepts are explained in a non-stuffy way that students can understand. Why? Because it was written by a very brilliant young woman! This particular math whiz had the best excuse ever to neglect her homework—but she never did.
The Author
Danica McKellar was a child star in the hit TV series The Wonder Years. She later starred in The West Wing, but she didn’t let stardom go to her head--nor did she let it interfere with her homework.
In fact, she went on to study math in college and became famous in the math world as co-author of a ground-breaking mathematical physics theorem!
Danica shows that she understands young women as she includes fun features, like math horoscopes and math personality quizzes.
Extras
Danica also has marketing smarts. This book is supported by a web site that includes extra information, a forum, and links to free tutoring sessions.
From the supplemental web page entitled Divisibility Tricks for Factoring:
If the sum of the digits is divisible by 3, then you know 3 is a factor. Example: 270. Add up the digits: 2+7+0=9. Since 9 is divisible by 3, we know that 270 is divisible by 3.
This book and the accompanying web site provide lots of great tips for students of all ages, and they demonstrate that everybody can "get" math if they take the time to understand the basics.
