One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math!

Few things zap the fun out of math quicker than a worksheet full of numbers. The mysteries in 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! are word problems that stress cross-curricular reading comprehension, Core Curriculum focused real-world application and a hint of out-of-the-box thinking. They engage students and make math fun!
(Think Teachers Magazine, January 2014)

Math resources are no mystery! This father-daughter team has created a charming collection of one minute stories that describe real-life situations where mathematical thinking can be helpful. Characters matter-of-factly invoke mathematics to address all sorts of scenarios. Some present clever ways to estimate, other stories dispel common misconceptions. The mysteries are enticing and often have an unexpected twist. They are relevant, everyday situations, and children can likely picture themselves in similar circumstances. Anticipate that students will turn to their mathematical toolboxes to tackle their challenges. (Perla Myers Teaching Children Mathematics, October, 2012, Vol. 19, No. 3, p.207)

Math truly is the star of One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math! The Yoders have created a multitude of real-life situations with solutions that would make Encyclopedia Brown jealous. Parents and students will enjoy the fun situations, and math teachers will appreciate the serious math behind the solutions. You’ll be inspired to start thinking up your own math situations before you know it! (Clay Kaufman, Co-Director Head of School., The Siena School, Silver Spring, MD)

Many kids equate math with drudgery, but this book skillfully meshes humor and excitement with challenging problems. While kids have fun and solve the mysteries, they actually develop important deductive reasoning skills that they will use throughout their lives. One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math! helps kids discover and experience the joys of math! (Rachel Connelly, Ph.D., Bion R. Cram Professor of Economics, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME)

Keep this book around, and take a moment each day to solve a math mystery puzzle. Yoder and Yoder, a talented father-daughter team, have managed a fine variety of high-energy math stories— from breakfast cereal to a pet iguana, from hula-hoops to the no-longer-planet Pluto. The mysteries are entertaining, and you’ll speed along, solving mysteries and sharpening your math skills. What could be more fun? (Margaret Kenda, Ph.D., Author of Math Wizardry for Kids)

What a fantastic way to introduce the application of math to the real world! I’ve always loved math and, as an architect, I know how applicable it is to the constructed world. But, for my kids, math is not intuitive. One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! engagingly introduces the language of math: fractions, geometry, and algebra. Better than a DVD player for the family van...! (Michael E. Burns, AIA, Architect for Capital Projects, George Washington University)

One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math! is a fun way to get people thinking about math as a way to find solutions to real problems—not just those you see on a standardized test. These mysteries are the perfect bridge to help the math-phobic embrace the subject as a fun, human endeavor rather than a school chore. Get this book for your children and give them a chance to love math! (Patrick Farenga, Co-Author of Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling)

Math often gets a bad rap for being hard and unpleasant. Mysteries, on the other hand, are fun and exciting. The joy of One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math! is that each mystery is a math problem in a lively context. Readers get to use their logic and reasoning skills while playing Sherlock Holmes! What a clever way to help young mathematicians hone their sleuthing skills! (Ryan McAllister, Ph.D., Biophysics, Georgetown University)

One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math! is a fun and exciting approach to word problems! The mysteries in the book are entertaining, but their real value is in presenting math concepts and quandaries that are approachable, learnable and solvable. A perfect tool to laugh your way to knowledge! (Cheryl L. Stadel-Bevans, M.S. Mathematics, Washington, D.C.)

One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! is almost as cool as video games! Really! My dad and I started reading problems while walking to school every morning. Then, we talk about them at dinner before checking the answers. The stories are things that could actually happen to me. They lead to some pretty interesting conversations with my parents. I totally recommend this book for other families! (Jacob Weiser, 8th Grader, Gunston Middle School, Arlington, VA)