It’s easy to find grade-appropriate math books for your class, but it’s hard to find books that engage students while teaching essential skills and concepts.
despite the challenge, there are storybooks, activities and illustrations that effectively focus on:
You are reading: Math books for 8th graders
- content : explains skills and techniques, as well as explores ideas and information
- processes : provides exercises to help readers understand content better
- outputs : assigning materials, such as graphics and homework, for readers to demonstrate understanding
For students in grades 1-8, below are 15 math books to study in class and practice at home.
1. the doorbell rang
Read this picture book with your class to introduce and reinforce basic counting and subtraction skills.
The premise of the story is easy to follow. A mom bakes cookies for her kids, but friends ring the bell to join in. the children in the book, helped by their students, must figure out how to divide the cookies. This relatable scenario not only contextualizes issues into a tangible scenario, but also teaches the importance of sharing. students can also continue to count actual beans or crackers.
grade range: 1st to 2nd
Skills and Topics: Subtraction and Critical Thinking
2. back and forth
present a round trip to your students to give them a detailed look at reflection and symmetry.
This book delivers its lessons in an abstract way, requiring you to engage in quick, intermittent discussions with your class. as a traveler, you enter a city illustrated through black and white photographs. at the end, you turn the book over and read it again. this gives a new meaning to the images and to the story itself. has been a favorite adventure in many classrooms since its launch in 1990.
grade range: 1st to 2nd
skills and themes: symmetry
3. each orange had 8 slices: a counting book
develop visual literacy skills as you practice counting and addition using each orange with 8 slices.
Accompanied by detailed and colorful illustrations, the book presents problems in easy-to-process sentences. For example, “If each orange has 8 slices and each slice has 2 seeds, how many (seeds) are there altogether?” These problems are suitable for pair work, and for more engagement, students can use manipulatives such as counting beans. the book features a new scene and corresponding questions with each page turn, holding your attention from start to finish.
grade range: 1st to 3rd
Skills and Topics: Basic Counting, Addition and Multiplication
4. the life of fred series
recommend the life of fred series to your students to introduce and practice essential math skills in elementary school.
The series is divided into four sets of books, each containing 19 lessons covering concepts relevant to most curricula. To engage readers, Life of Fred presents these lessons through stories about cats, ice cream, and other children’s themes. With full answer keys, the series lends itself to practicing, reviewing, or learning entire skills.
grade range: 1st to 5th
Skills and Topics: Most, if not all, of the skills in Grades 1-5
5. the grapes of mathematics
improve abstract thinking and word problem processing with math grapes.
A series of illustrated math puzzles, the book introduces readers to a poem and the corresponding problem. This helps students improve their reading comprehension skills as they look for clues and secrets to solve the problem, which typically involves counting and matching food and animals. have them solve the problems in groups for a fun team challenge.
grade range: 2nd to 5th
Skills and Topics: Abstract Thinking, Basic Addition and Multiplication
6. one’s garden
See Also: Business & Finance Division – Commissary and Trust Fund Department
engage visual learners by reading one’s garden with them, enjoying an engaging story in the process.
The setting is a forest where the protagonist lives, one. As more people begin to make their homes in the forest, the composition of the wildlife changes. students must search for different plants and animals, completing puzzles and multiplication questions in the process. In addition, the book has a page that explains all the skills and concepts it contains.
grade range: 3rd to 5th
skills and topics: addition and multiplication
7. how to be a math genius
Show students that they are more capable mathematicians than they think by studying with them how to be a math genius.
The book itself is an example of differentiated instruction. contains content in the form of:
- graphs
- equations
- illustrations
- word problems
- real life examples
- historical examples
In addition, students can apply their knowledge through the book’s puzzles, tongue twisters, and science experiments. its purpose is to help students try new approaches to learning math by helping them quickly see which tactics work for them.
grade range: 3rd to 6th
Skills and Topics: Multiplication, Division, Patterns, Geometry, and General Problem Solving
8. this is not a math book
Use this math book in disguise to teach geometry topics, like angles, while tapping into students’ artistic abilities.
The workbook asks the reader to draw tessellations using protractors, compasses, and other tools. In doing so, students learn to identify and create three-dimensional shapes and patterns. they can see it as a break from normal work, but they will still develop key skills.
grade range: 4th to 7th
Skills and Topics: Measurement, Geometry, and Spatial Recognition
9. g is for googol
Teach topics ranging from math facts to non-curricular concepts with the help of g is for googol.
The book explores one or two mathematical terms for each letter of the alphabet. written in short prose and accompanied by illustrations, the explanations last a couple of pages. Covering topics such as exponents and equilaterals, students should finish the book with a stronger understanding of such material. but, as a math teacher, your favorite input might be w, which stands for “when are we going to use this stuff, anyway?” the section looks at real-life applications for the content you teach. happy teacher informed students. most interesting math class.
grade range: 4th to 8th
skills and topics: concepts outside of most curricula, such as binary numbers
10. mr cumference series
read the sir cumference series with your class to develop skills in a medieval and fantasy setting.
With the occasional help of his son and his wife (Radius and Lady Di of Amater), the knight Lord Cumference must solve math-related challenges that pose a threat to his family and his kingdom. for example magic turns lord cumference into a dragon. Radio must determine the proper dose of the antidote by applying pi to his calculations. other problems see the horse finding the area of the circles and the volume of the cones. Bolstered by witty writing, this series will appeal to most of your students, especially those who are already interested in the genre.
grade range: 6th to 8th
skills and topics: measurement and geometry
11. the adventures of penrose the math cat
introduce ideas outside of the curriculum by reading excerpts from this novel with your class.
See Also: RdellaTraining.com | The 12 Best Strength Training Books Ever Written
penrose appears to be a lazy and sleepy cat. but he becomes more and more interested in the math works of his owner, learning about topics like:
- infinity
- fractals
- tessellations
- moebius strip
penrose takes readers on adventures as he explains, simplifies, and applies these themes. The book devotes a few pages to each, concluding with a series of questions to practice skills ranging from addition to square roots. who knew that cats were such good math teachers?
grade range: 6th to 8th
skills and themes: concepts outside of most curricula, such as golden rectangles
12. magic math
offer a fun side task by assigning magical math.
The book relates popular magic tricks to mathematical formulas. for example, it analyzes the math behind the three-card deck and draws a specific card after certain shuffling sequences. In addition, each trick introduces a new ability. and the authors provide step-by-step instructions for each. for an attractive ticket of admission, review and expand on the book’s lessons.
grade range: 6th to 8th
Skills and Topics: Critical thinking and applying mathematical concepts to real world scenarios
13. math: the science of patterns
Build an appreciation for math in your students by requiring them to study math: the science of patterns.
Along with a brief exploration of the history of mathematics, the book examines broad but important mathematical concepts, which are divided into six sections:
- counting
- reasoning
- movement and change
- shape
- symmetry
- position
forego formulas to keep the content as simple as possible. despite this, it explains many topics in precise detail, presenting the purpose and applications of a concept. There are also explanatory images. By the end of the book, students should have a better understanding of how to approach the study of mathematics.
grade range: 7th to 8th
skills and themes: concepts related to the six sections mentioned above
14. math dictionary: homework help for families
Send students home with this reference book to help them with homework and encourage their parents to lend a hand.
With over 300 entries on math topics and concepts, readers can flip through the pages to find information related to challenging problems. for example, it contains models, formulas and conversion tables to follow when solving certain questions. Parents often see it as a helpful resource for remembering key concepts, encouraging them to guide their children when needed. It is a mainstay on many children’s homework tables.
degree range: 1° to 8°
Skills and Topics: a range of concepts from 1st to 8th grade
15. family math
Encourage more practice at home by recommending Family Math: A book full of games and activities that students can play with friends, siblings, and parents.
Most of the book focuses on problems based on real-world mathematical challenges, appealing to those who struggle to understand abstract concepts. students can solve these problems using common objects like cups and cards. if the content seems too advanced for your class, consider the toddler edition. fun for the whole family, you should see the learning benefits of family involvement.
degree range: 1° to 8°
skills and topics: a range of skills from 1st to 8th grade
final thoughts on these math books
The 15 math books listed will not only help you teach key skills and concepts, they will also create a more engaging math classroom.
At a minimum, you can use this list as a starting point. identify the qualities of different books that appeal to you and would benefit your students, building a complete picture of what you need.
With so many ways to use technology in the classroom, your students may accept a book for a change.
try prodigy math today – a fun and adaptable game-based learning platform that adjusts content to accommodate players’ pain points and learning speeds with the help of curriculum-aligned content . It is used by more than 2.5 million teachers and 100 million students.
See Also: 12 Books To Read If You Loved ‘The Girl On The Train’ (That Aren’t ‘Gone Girl’)