Puzzles and Puzzle Books

Puzzle books to excite learning and increase math skills. Math Path Puzzles, Levels A and B

by Evelyn B. Christensen

Level A: For grades 2 to 4.

Level B: For grades 4 and up. Synopsis of book to go on your page.: A sample page from each of her Math Path Puzzles book can be found on Evelyn's author website (http://echristensen.atspace.com). She also posts new puzzles on her website every week and has many free activities to download on the Teachers page.

This is a product which teachers of grades 4-8 have appreciated for use in math class. The activities can be used to reinforce basic operations on whole numbers and for sponges for those who finish early. Good for problem solving as well. Strongly recommend it.

Multiplication Mosaics

by Evelyn B. Christensen

Puzzle books teach math in a fun way.

A delightfully fun way to practice basic addition facts. Solve mini-mysteries by using your answers to plot a path (north, south, east, and west) until you reach a lost mitten, a four-leaf clover, hidden treasure in a pyramid, or other great reward. Builds mapping skills as well as proficiency in addition.

For grades 1 and up. Synopsis of book to go on your page.: A sample page from her Addition Adventures book can be found on Evelyn's author website (http://echristensen.atspace.com). She also posts new puzzles there every week and has many free activities to download on the Teachers page.

The classic tangram puzzle with simplified designs for younger kids and faster play. Pop out 2 sets of tangrams from the back cover and start the adventure with these fascinating geometric puzzles! Progresses from simple to challenging, so it's fun for the whole family. Builds flexibility in thinking by asking for multiple solutions to designs. A total of 52 designs providing 136 challenges! For ages 7 and up.

A sample page from her Tan-Tastic Tangrams! book can be found on Evelyn's author website. She also posts new puzzles on her website every week and has many free activities to download on the Teachers page.

Want fraction exercises that have fun as the common denominator? Then Fraction Finders is what you need! Each page features 14 to 18 skill-building fraction problems. After students have solved all the equations, the answers provide color-coded clues for revealing the secret name of an animal hidden in the coordinate grid. A unique and fresh approach to fraction practice; wonderful for students who enjoy visual challenges and direct feedback.

Great exercises for individual work stations, an entire classroom, or sharpening skills at home.

For grades 4 and up. Synopsis of book to go on your page.: A sample page from her Fraction Finders book can be found on Evelyn's author website. She also posts new puzzles on her website every week and has many free activities to download on the Teachers page.

A whole set of intriguing puzzle paths that challenge you to use your math skills as well as your logic skills. Each puzzle is missing one or more parts: in beginning puzzles you solve for the final number in the path, but as the puzzles become harder, you learn to think backwards and forwards to find numbers, signs, or even paths that are missing along the way!

Level A: For grades 2 to 4.

Level B: For grades 4 and up.

A sample page from each of her Math Path Puzzles book can be found on Evelyn's author website. She also posts new puzzles on her website every week and has many free activities to download on the Teachers page.

Tactic Twisters, Levels A and B

More than 140 maze-like puzzles in four styles to challenge and sharpen your problem solving skills--Honeycomb Loops, Gray'n' White Puzzles, Triangle Trails, and Grid Path Puzzles. Think logically as you twist, turn, bend and loop your way around to discover the correct paths. Synopsis of book to go on your page.: A sample pages from her Tactic Twisters books can be found on Evelyn's author website. She also posts new puzzles on her website every week and has many free activities to download on the Teachers page.

These two puzzle books were co-authored with her daughter.

Selected comments from Customer Reviews on MindWare's website:

--Fun way to get extra math practice.

--We gave this to our daughter at Christmas and she loves doing the work and coloring in to see what the mosaic is. A lot of fun and worthwhile since she is learning multiplication in school right now too.

--My 3rd graders love these. They are not the typical 'kill & drill' worksheets that we've had in the past!

--My daughter loves this ...it is art with math...great way to get the artsy into math.

--With the transition from multiplication to division both this book and the division book assist in that transition when you work them together. Great investment to keep my son challenged and still be fun not knowing what the colored picture is going to turn out like.

--I have a step granddaughter who is having trouble in math. This book made learning and thinking fun to do. She had fun trying to figure out what the design was going to be. Thank you for a good product.

--My daughter is struggling in math (8 y.o.) so this is great for her! It's a fun way to review multiplication!

--Love it! Great skills reinforcer

--This is great for teaching coordinates as well as reviewing multiplication!

--I gave this to a summer school student and she enjoyed it; the mosaic is a nice carrot for finishing the problems correctly.

--I'm always looking for fun different ways to get my kids interested in learning and this fits the bill

About the author:

Evelyn Christensen has a Masters degree in mathematics and a doctoral degree in mathematics education. She has taught at the elementary, middle school, high school, college, and graduate school levels. Most recently she has taught gifted education at the primary level. Evelyn has a passion for creating resources to make learning fun for kids. She has authored 40 educational puzzle books and designed several math games.

She lives in Lexington, KY with her husband Ralph and has four grown children. Providing her children with fun learning activities when they were little was the origin of many of her puzzle books ideas.

Puzzle books.