Review by Booklist Review
Books in the Real World Math series vary in the skills they promote and the approaches they take, but each one offers a central theme, an abundance of color photos, and a number of math problems, mainly word problems, to be solved along the way. Grid Coordinates by Land, Air, and Sea presents information and related problems in a straightforward manner. Each book concludes with a double-page Problem-Solving Activity, a glossary, and an answer key. Grid Coordinates demonstrates the uses of maps and charts as well as GPS for getting around on land, on sea, and in the air, while activities challenge children to read simple maps and charts. With attractive illustrations and relatively simple texts, these volumes may be useful to teachers and parents seeking books that support the curriculum.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-For the most part, these titles are marginal purchases. Grid Coordinates has a pedestrian writing style ("maps help us get to places," "maps are really useful," etc.), and the various concepts presented are often confusing or redundant. "Couriers carry goods" needs to be defined more precisely or an example provided, while "a map's scale is written as a ratio" includes an explanation of "ratio" but not of "scale." While the charts are clear, some photographs are dark. Erika Shores's If Maps Could Talk (Capstone, 2007) is a livelier choice. The second title has some of the same problems. The page that includes a "Let's Explore Math" activity that references bricks features a photograph of a clapboard house. Somewhat random information about famous architects and their creations is scattered about and interferes with the general discussion. Elapsed Time never defines the word "elapsed." The Paralympics are mentioned, but how they differ from the regular Olympics and who participates in them are not explained. Of the four titles, Sharks may have some child appeal.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
