July 17, 2018

Hey Readers,

                I just finished reading Dead Possums Are Fair Game, by Taryn Souders.  As a kid growing up in Florida, where opossums growled from under the fridge in the garage, the title of this one made me cringe. But I was surprised how much I enjoyed getting to know Ella who, just like me, is not really that into math. She takes the reader through this first person account of how she works with her friends to complete their presentation for the Victor Waldo Elementary Math Fair. These kids were kind to each other and to the adults who supported them.  The story is believable, often funny and very relatable.  It was also pretty cool that my very first teaching position was at a school also named Waldo Elementary.

​

                Honestly, my favorite takeaway from this book was Ms. Carpenter’s explanation of the difference between a possum, which lives in Australia and New Zealand and its North American cousin, the opossum. I love the small details. I hope it inspires one of my kids to dig further and present a little research project on the subject (hint, hint). Maybe we could all come together to put on our own Hannan Elementary Math Fair too.

​

                Let me know how you feel about this piece.  Use details from the story to support your praise and criticisms.  Please send your typed review to my email address lester.kimberly@muscogee.k12.ga.us. I’ll post your thoughts with others as we encourage friends to read a great book.

​

                Enjoy reading and exploring the many uses for math in your life!

                :)  Dr. Lester