Bowling By the Numbers

K-Gr 1—Each volume begins with an introduction that provides readers with some fairly complex facts about the subjects. For example, in Bowling, students learn that "The distance between the foul line and the first pin is 60 feet (18.2 m)." The books then switch to simpler sections with larger font size. "Kyle is a fast swimmer. He likes swimming freestyle best." "By the Numbers!" text boxes pose an addition or subtraction word problem. "Kyle has to swim 6 laps. He has finished 4. How many more laps will he swim?" Answers are in the back, along with some interesting facts about the sport and a short glossary. These volumes are simply tools to give students practice with addition and subtraction. There is no explanation of any of the answers or any definition of the operations. Teachers can use them as materials for independent readers or to spark group discussions about solving word problems. Full-page color photos illustrate the pages.