I'm Trying to Love Math (I'm Trying to Love...)

K-Gr 2--As an invisible narrator begins to express a distaste for math, a three-eyed purple alien arrives in a flying saucer to make a case for why math is important and helpful. Unconvinced, the narrator makes several attempts to love math but these efforts seem to prove that math is boring. All of these arguments are rebuffed by the alien, who shows that math is a crucial part of cooking, music, nature, and navigation. By the end of the book, both the narrator and the reader come to the realization that math is connected to many things that they enjoy, so maybe they already love it. This engaging volume is filled with colorful, splashy illustrations; two unique lettering styles are used to differentiate between the narrator's words and those spoken by the alien. Although it is not as much of a smash as Barton's I'm Trying to Love Spiders, this book offers ample opportunity for readers to interact with the text and have conversations with and about the narrator and the friendly, pro-math alien. VERDICT For early elementary students who are showing an aversion to mathematical concepts, Barton's characters might show them that real-life math applications exist in things that they already love.--Sarah Reid, Four County Library System, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Barton's droll follow-up to I'm Trying to Love Spiders begins with a clear-cut statement: "If you ask me, math is not very lovable." Moreover, the narrator indicates, "4 in 10 Americans hate math." At this, an adorable purple alien appears, asking a question--"Did you just use math to explain how much you don't like it?"--that introduces the book's conceit: wherever you go, there you math. And the alien is on to something--in loose pen-and-ink art, it describes the subject's ability to bring people together, its contributions to music, navigation, and food. Math loathers may not be comforted as Barton shows the usefulness of both simple arithmetic and massive equations, but it becomes quite clear that the narrator and readers can't help but run into the stuff ("Wait. Baking is just a bunch of math, isn't it?"). A hilarious meta exploration of the ubiquity (like it or not) of mathematics. Ages 4-8. (July)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Full of interesting and amazing facts and the many ways math is crucial in oureveryday lives, this entertaining, vibrant text is sure to get young readers excited about the subject." — Booklist