Sir Cumference and the Fracton Faire

by Cindy Neuschwander, Wayne Geehan (Illustrator)

Overview

Join Sir Cumference and the gang for more wordplay, puns, and problem solving in the clever math adventure that introduces readers to the concept of fractons.

Sir Cumference and Lady Di discover "Fracton numbers" while purchasing cloth and cheese at the Fracton Faire. While two-fourths may seem like the same as one-half, in truth it denotes two parts of one-half, or two quarters of the whole. But the real mystery is the fact that items at the fair keep disappearing, and Sir C, Lady Di, and the Earl of Fracton must set a numeric trap for the thief, teaching an important lesson along the way about the comparative size of fractions.
Puns--both literal and visual--abound in this fun adventure story with beloved characters and a solid pedagogical foundation.


A fun little math adventure that introduces the basics of fractions to early elementary audiences.
— School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607348504
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	03/07/2017
Series:	Charlesbridge Math Adventures Series
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	37 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Cindy Neuschwander is a retired elementary school teacher who was inspired to write the Sir Cumference series while visiting medieval castles in England. She now works at California Polytechnic State University. She lives in San Luis Obispo, California.

Wayne Geehan is the illustrator of Multiplying Menace, Cut Down to Size at High Noon, and the Sir Cumference series. He lives in Acton, Massachusetts.

Read an Excerpt

“Fine fabrics!” “Fresh cheese!” Baa, baa!

It was the opening morning of the Fracton Faire.

“Such a merry atmosphere!” said Lady Di of Ameter. She and Sir Cumference strolled jauntily through the crowds with their friend Reginald Parton, the Earl of Fracton.

The two men stopped to watch a sword swallower while Lady Di wandered over to a cloth merchant’s booth. She ran her hand over a length of fabric. “How perfectly soft!” she exclaimed.

The merchant smiled. “You can buy all or part,” she said, pointing to the sign above her.

“What do those numbers mean?” Lady Di asked.

“They’re Fracton numbers, my lady,” the woman answered. “They are used to measure equal pieces of something, such as this beautiful cloth.”

Editorial Reviews

Lady Di of Ameter, Sir Cumference, and Reginald Patron, the Earl of Fracton, visit the local faire, where they learn about fractions through the sale of cheese, cloth, and stolen merchandise. Concepts such as denominators, numerators, and equivalents are clearly explained through interactions with the various merchants. Some text is in dialogue balloons, for instance, during the puppet show and as the thieves search for fractions. The text uses several different terms to reinforce the concepts of fractions in spoken language. The soft, muted, color sketches are detailed and vary in size. Fractions are scattered throughout the illustrations. The white wax on yellow cloth used to show numerators and denominators makes the text a bit hard to read. The use of the word fracton, instead of the proper spelling, detracts from the math lesson. VERDICT Suitable for all libraries, this is a fun little math adventure that introduces the basics of fractions to early elementary audiences.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/01/2017
K-Gr 3—Lady Di of Ameter, Sir Cumference, and Reginald Patron, the Earl of Fracton, visit the local faire, where they learn about fractions through the sale of cheese, cloth, and stolen merchandise. Concepts such as denominators, numerators, and equivalents are clearly explained through interactions with the various merchants. Some text is in dialogue balloons, for instance, during the puppet show and as the thieves search for fractions. The text uses several different terms to reinforce the concepts of fractions in spoken language. The soft, muted, color sketches are detailed and vary in size. Fractions are scattered throughout the illustrations. The white wax on yellow cloth used to show numerators and denominators makes the text a bit hard to read. The use of the word fracton, instead of the proper spelling, detracts from the math lesson. VERDICT Suitable for all libraries, this is a fun little math adventure that introduces the basics of fractions to early elementary audiences.—Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Library, WA

School Library Journal