Sir Cumference and the Roundabout Battle

Illustrated by Wayne Geehan
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Hardcover
$16.95 US
| $18.95 CAN
On sale Aug 04, 2015 | 32 Pages | 9781570917653
Age 7-10 years | Grades 2-5
Reading Level: Lexile 670L | Fountas & Pinnell Q
Join Sir Cumference and the gang for more wordplay, puns, and problem solving in the clever math adventure that introduces readers to the concept of rounding numbers.

When Steward Edmund Rounds and Sir Cumference notice that there are strangers camped nearby, Rounds II decides to investigate despite being involved with the task of learning how to make accurate counts of the castle's stores of food, supplies, and weaponry. When he reports back that an enemy is lying in wait, everyone moves quickly to defend the castle. But wait! Will Rounds II be able to figure out how many bows and arrows they have to create an appropriate battle plan? Using rounding techniques to figure out the totals more quickly, Rounds II is just in time to help stave off a potentially disastrous attack. Readers will love making the rounds with Rounds II and the gang in this new installment of the Sir Cumference series that makes math fun and accessible for all.
“Another great harvest day! But wait—who’s that?” asked Edmund Rounds, the castle steward. He pointed to a few small tents just visible among the trees.
            “It’s probably travelers bedding down for the night,” answered Sir Cumference.
            Just then the steward’s son bounded up the stairway.
            “Ah, Rounds 2, keeping track of everything in the castle?” asked Sir Cumference with a smile.
            The boy nodded. Everyone called him Rounds 2, since he and his father were both named Edmund.
            “Papa, I’ve finished the counts you asked for,” he said, handing his father two scrolls. As the castle’s next steward, Rounds 2 was his father’s assistant.
            “Wonderful!” exclaimed Steward Rounds. “Let’s look these over during supper.”
This latest series installment uses stories involving a knight named Sir Cumference as jumping-off points to explore mathematical concepts tackles rounding. Edmund Rounds and his son, Rounds 2, are responsible for keeping an inventory of items at Sir Cumference’s castle. When Rounds 2 hands over his latest counts for inspection, Edmund notices that the number of bread loaves and butter pots has not been totaled. Rounds 2 admits that adding is the difficult part. As they total the items together, he finds that it is much easier to calculate numbers in groups of 10 (10, 20, 30, etc.). His father tells him that for some items, such as the number of bees in the hives, it’s acceptable to come up with an approximate number. To thank his father for his assistance, Rounds 2 sets off to count the bedding of some travelers passing by but discovers that the men are enemies intent on attacking the castle. As Sir Cumference prepares for battle, he asks Rounds 2 to retrieve the bow and arrow counts. While these items have been counted, they have not yet been totaled, and Rounds 2 is left to complete the calculations himself. By rounding up or down to the nearest 10, Rounds quickly completes the task in what soon becomes known around the castle as the Rounds 2 Method. VERDICT Complete with the illustration style and subtle puns expected of the series, this title will be enjoyed by fans of the previous books.
-School Library Journal
Cindy Neuschwander is a native Californian born in San Diego. She received a BA in international studies from Willamette University and an MA in education from Stanford University. She has been teaching since 1975, both at the high school and elementary levels. As a mathematics education specialist, Cindy sought ways to make math fun, interesting, and comprehensible to her students. In 1992, while living in England, Cindy began working on her first book with this goal in mind. Sir Cumference and the First Round Table took five years to reach publication, but it remains a very popular book for its presentation of math concepts as well as for its amusing and exciting story. View titles by Cindy Neuschwander
Wayne Geehan, a graduate of the Art Institute of Boston, has been illustrating books, board games, and jigsaw puzzles for over 20 years. He is the illustrator of Multiplying Menace and Cut Down to Size at High Noon, as well as the Sir Cumference series. When he isn't painting in his Massachusetts studio, he enjoys being with his family, reading, and researching his family's genealogy. View titles by Wayne Geehan

About

Join Sir Cumference and the gang for more wordplay, puns, and problem solving in the clever math adventure that introduces readers to the concept of rounding numbers.

When Steward Edmund Rounds and Sir Cumference notice that there are strangers camped nearby, Rounds II decides to investigate despite being involved with the task of learning how to make accurate counts of the castle's stores of food, supplies, and weaponry. When he reports back that an enemy is lying in wait, everyone moves quickly to defend the castle. But wait! Will Rounds II be able to figure out how many bows and arrows they have to create an appropriate battle plan? Using rounding techniques to figure out the totals more quickly, Rounds II is just in time to help stave off a potentially disastrous attack. Readers will love making the rounds with Rounds II and the gang in this new installment of the Sir Cumference series that makes math fun and accessible for all.

Excerpt

“Another great harvest day! But wait—who’s that?” asked Edmund Rounds, the castle steward. He pointed to a few small tents just visible among the trees.
            “It’s probably travelers bedding down for the night,” answered Sir Cumference.
            Just then the steward’s son bounded up the stairway.
            “Ah, Rounds 2, keeping track of everything in the castle?” asked Sir Cumference with a smile.
            The boy nodded. Everyone called him Rounds 2, since he and his father were both named Edmund.
            “Papa, I’ve finished the counts you asked for,” he said, handing his father two scrolls. As the castle’s next steward, Rounds 2 was his father’s assistant.
            “Wonderful!” exclaimed Steward Rounds. “Let’s look these over during supper.”

Reviews

This latest series installment uses stories involving a knight named Sir Cumference as jumping-off points to explore mathematical concepts tackles rounding. Edmund Rounds and his son, Rounds 2, are responsible for keeping an inventory of items at Sir Cumference’s castle. When Rounds 2 hands over his latest counts for inspection, Edmund notices that the number of bread loaves and butter pots has not been totaled. Rounds 2 admits that adding is the difficult part. As they total the items together, he finds that it is much easier to calculate numbers in groups of 10 (10, 20, 30, etc.). His father tells him that for some items, such as the number of bees in the hives, it’s acceptable to come up with an approximate number. To thank his father for his assistance, Rounds 2 sets off to count the bedding of some travelers passing by but discovers that the men are enemies intent on attacking the castle. As Sir Cumference prepares for battle, he asks Rounds 2 to retrieve the bow and arrow counts. While these items have been counted, they have not yet been totaled, and Rounds 2 is left to complete the calculations himself. By rounding up or down to the nearest 10, Rounds quickly completes the task in what soon becomes known around the castle as the Rounds 2 Method. VERDICT Complete with the illustration style and subtle puns expected of the series, this title will be enjoyed by fans of the previous books.
-School Library Journal

Author

Cindy Neuschwander is a native Californian born in San Diego. She received a BA in international studies from Willamette University and an MA in education from Stanford University. She has been teaching since 1975, both at the high school and elementary levels. As a mathematics education specialist, Cindy sought ways to make math fun, interesting, and comprehensible to her students. In 1992, while living in England, Cindy began working on her first book with this goal in mind. Sir Cumference and the First Round Table took five years to reach publication, but it remains a very popular book for its presentation of math concepts as well as for its amusing and exciting story. View titles by Cindy Neuschwander
Wayne Geehan, a graduate of the Art Institute of Boston, has been illustrating books, board games, and jigsaw puzzles for over 20 years. He is the illustrator of Multiplying Menace and Cut Down to Size at High Noon, as well as the Sir Cumference series. When he isn't painting in his Massachusetts studio, he enjoys being with his family, reading, and researching his family's genealogy. View titles by Wayne Geehan