The countdown to fun has begun! April is national Math Awareness Month --- a time to celebrate the roles math plays in our everyday lives. If that sounds boring to you, just wait. We've rounded-up a slew of books that will lead you to number-filled adventure.

Whether you realize it or not, cooking, shopping, and even playing hide-and-seek all require a bit of math. In our nifty collection of books you'll find titles on counting, fractions, and a thrilling novel. So don't be afraid to explore --- we're counting on you!

  ---- Shannon Maughan

THE GRAPES OF MATH: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles
by Greg Tang
illustrated by Harry Briggs
Scholastic
ISBN: 043921033X
Ages 7-10

This clever book serves up math puzzles that you'll actually have fun figuring out. The riddles encourage you to think creatively about math and teaches tricks (like observing groups and patterns) for adding numbers quickly and accurately.

ARITHMETRICKS: 50 Easy Ways to Add, Subtract, Multiply and Divide Without a Calculator
by Edward H. Julius
illustrated by Name
Wiley
ISBN: 0471106399
Ages 8-up
160 pages

Able to multiply large numbers at lightning speed! That's how your friends will be describing your skills after you check out this awesome book. Tricks for taking mental math short cuts will help you solve any problem in a flash.

COOL MATH: Math Tricks, Amazing Math Activities, Cool Calculations, Awesome Math Factoids, and More
by Christy Maganzini
illustrated by Ruta Daugavietis
Price, Stern, Sloan
ISBN: 0843178574
Ages 8-up
96 pages

Want to know on which day of the week your birthday will fall in 2005? Follow the tip in this book and you can calculate it in a jiffy. When you master the other fascinating tricks here, you'll truly be a math ace.

THE I HATE MATHEMATICS! BOOK
by Marilyn Burns
illustrated by Martha Weston
Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316117412
Ages 8-up
127 pages

Some people think math is dull or difficult, or just for brainy people. Boy, are they wrong! When you play the fun games in this book, you'll discover that you're way smarter than you think you are --- and that math can entertain and even amaze.

JUMP, KANGAROO, JUMP!
by Stuart J. Murphy
illustrated by Kevin O'Malley
HarperTrophy
ISBN: 006446721X
Ages 7-up
40 pages

Let the games begin! At camp Kangaroo and his other colorful Australian pals must divide themselves into teams for tug-of-war, swimming, canoeing and more. Can you help? Check out our interview with author and math expert Stuart J. Murphy.

MATH FOR SMARTY PANTS
by Marilyn Burns
illustrated by Martha Weston
Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316117390
Ages 8-up
128 pages

Impress your parents, teachers and friends with your mathematical knowledge! Impossible, you say? Not with this book. You'll find all kinds of tricks, tips and even card games that help you add, multiply, divide and solve fun logic puzzles like a math whiz. Give it a try!

THE NUMBER DEVIL: A Mathematical Adventure
by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
translated by Michael Henry Heim
illustrated by Berner Rotraut
Henry Holt
ISBN: 0805057706
Ages 11-up
260 pages

Twelve-year-old Robert hates math, and thinks his math teacher Mr. Bockel is the most boring guy on earth. But Robert slowly begins to change his mind when he starts having vivid dreams starring the Number Devil. This clever creature has a knack for turning math principles and problems into fantasy-filled fun. You won't want to miss out.

MATH CURSE
by Jon Scieszka
illustrated by Lane Smith
Viking
ISBN: 0670861944
Ages 6 and up

Jon Scieszka's girl protagonist is fine one moment, math-crazed the next, thanks to a casual comment that slips from the lips of her teacher Mrs. Fibonacci. "You know," she says, "you can think of almost everything as a math problem." Suddenly there are math problems everywhere the young girl turns: two halves of a sandwich, the speed and distance of the school bus and so on. She's convinced she's been vexed by a math curse.Can a science curse be far behind? Exceptional fun that deftly illustrates the everyday relevance of math.

MATH MINI MYSTERIES
by Sandra Markle
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum
ISBN: 068931700X
Ages 8-12
58 pages

Science expert Markle demonstrates the power of math as she shows kids how to use mathematical skills to perform all kinds of neat investigations. With the concepts shown here, readers will learn how to calculate when the wind is right for kite flying, how to use a map scale to find out travel distances and how to compare one's own personal measurements to those of the Statue of Liberty. Pretty cool.

THE MATH CHEF: Over 60 Math Activities and Recipes for Kids
by Joan D'Amico and Karen Eich Drummond
illustrated by Tina Cash-Walsh
John Wiley
ISBN: 0471138134
Ages 9-up
180 pages

If you've already had some adventures in the kitchen, then you know it's impossible to follow a recipe without using some of your basic math skills. This books makes fractions, measurements, multiplication and other math concepts fun, because you learn them while you're whipping up Awesome Animal Crackers, Banana Blaster Muffins and more.

MIDNIGHT MATH
by Peter Ledwon
illustrated by Marilyn Mets
Holiday House
ISBN: 0823415309
Ages 6-10
32 pages

Friendly (and smart!) pets Chester, Leon and Maury lead you through cool activities and games with names like "Hot Salsa," "Something Fishy," "Looney Hopscotch" and "Pirate Treasure Hunt." Try your hand at these and come out a winner!

DAVE'S DOWN-TO-EARTH ROCK SHOP
by Stuart J. Murphy
illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0064467295
Ages 7-up
40 pages

Are you a collector? Whether it's marbles, stamps, rocks, Beanies or Pokemon cards, you know that part of the fun is organizing your collection just the way you like it. In this book Dave teaches his friends Josh and Amy all about rocks. And when it comes time to organize their collection, Josh and Amy put their math skills of classifying and grouping to work. See how they do it, and get some great ideas for your own collection.

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