Top Five Math Fiction Titles For Girls

Math has a reputation for being closed minded.  While it’s true that math isn’t open to multiple perspectives or interpretation, such as English or history, it does involve studying relationships, scrutinizing symbols and shapes, and, of course, solving problems.  These are three areas in which girls can excel.   Educational studies report a gender gap between girls and the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).  However, researchers are finding that "improving girls' beliefs about their abilities could alter their choices and performance."  So a good way to build mathematical confidence in your daughter, niece, or granddaughter would be to give her an opportunity to read about girls and boys who love math.  Who knows - maybe she’ll be a little more hopeful and confident when she enters the math classroom in next fall!   Heroes and Heroines Who Live for Math     ‘Hannah, Divided,” by Adele Griffin is an historical fiction novel set in 1934.  It invites the reader to attend Hannah Bennett's one-room house, where she shares her math obsession with fellow students.  Hannah is not celebrated for her gift in math in her small rural town, but is viewed as mentally challenged because she can’t read.  This is an uplifting story about believing in yourself and finding your strengths.       ‘Do the Math’ is a two-book series by Wendy Lichtman.  The first book, ‘Secrets, Lies, and Algebra,’ introduces the reader to Tess, an eighth grade math whiz.  Tess is like other girls with friends and crushes, but is a little different in that she examines her teenage experiences through the lens of mathematics.  Lichtman is creative with the chapter titles by naming them after math concepts, such as chapter 1: Inequalities.  This would be a great summer read for any middle school student.   ‘Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture: A Novel of Mathematical Obsession’ is an international bestseller written by Greek author Apostolos Doxiadi.  This mystery novel earned high acclaim from the Mathematical Association of America and is a recommended teen or adult read.  "The book is really the story of two generations of obsession, the one; a quest for the solution to a mathematical problem, the other; a young man’s search for the truth about the uncle his family shuns and the reason for having thrown away his life."   ‘The Phantom Tollbooth,’ by Norton Juster is a modern classic.  As Maurice Sendak, author of ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ wrote: "Tollbooth is a product of time, and a place that fills me with fierce nostalgia.  Tollbooth is pure gold."  Discover for yourself the story of Milo and his adventures.   Renee Lienhard is a Collection Development Analyst with OverDrive

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