(3) K-3 Illustrated by Wayne Geehan. Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter use their burgeoning knowledge of fractions to thwart some thieves ripping off merchants at the Fracton Faire. As always, Neuschwander's medieval-set math lesson goes down easy, in part because readers are learning right along with the characters rather than having to sit through a lecture. Geehan's jewel-toned acrylics capture ye merry olde mischief.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Wayne Geehan. Rounds 2, the castle steward's son, uses rounding to calculate the number of bows and arrows Sir Cumference and his archers have for defense. The arrow count isn't high enough to defeat the castle's attackers, so Rounds 2 comes up with another plan. Mathematical thinking is modeled well, and the series' trademarks--amusingly groan-worthy puns and acrylic illustrations set in the Middle Ages--make their usual appearance.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Wayne Geehan. In this pain-free math lesson, two bakers compete to determine who will provide the official sweet for the annual Harvest Faire; each tries out different counting systems to keep track of the votes. The slapstick-scattered, medieval-set acrylics anticipate the pleasingly atrocious puns. (Who knew that baker Pia of Chartres originated the pie chart and baker Bart Graf the bar graph?)

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Wayne Geehan. Cousins Per and Radius hunt for treasure by unraveling a Viking mapmaker's clues: a series of coordinates (x, y) that pinpoint locations on the Viking's map grid. Highway robbers, channeling the Keystone Kops, chase the cousins around, but this subplot comes off as rather superfluous. Acrylic paintings with a medieval setting illustrate this introduction to coordinate (a.k.a. Cartesian) planes.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bryan Langdo. During a family trip to Paris, Matt and Bibi attend a cooking school and learn to measure liquids in the American standard and metric systems. Their measuring and brownie-making skills are tested when the Inspector General makes a surprise visit. Much of the plot is arbitrary, but as an introduction to capacity, the story and lively illustrations are serviceable.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Wayne Geehan. As guests arrive for King Arthur's birthday party, Sir Cumference and Lady Di attempt a headcount. Early efforts fail until they decide to group by tens, then hundreds. There are some clever math puns, and the Medieval-themed illustrations add humor as a cook frets over feeding the multitudes. However, the story is overlong, and its connection to place value is left for the last page.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Wayne Geehan. King Arthur, looking for an heir, creates a math puzzle that Vertex is to solve with his friend Radius. After several deductive leaps, Vertex and Radius discover the sword Edgecalibur in a cone in the castle with a height three times its base. The math (involving Euler's Law) is too dense for this book's audience, but the charming story, enhanced by warm, textured acrylic and oil illustrations, will carry readers along.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Wayne Geehan. Fusing geometry with Arthurian legend, this tale describes the origin of the famous Round Table. After rectangular, square, diamond, and octagonal tables fail to please King Arthur and his knights, Sir Cumference, his wife Lady Di of Ameter, and their son Radius stumble upon a fallen tree, whose cross section yields the solution. Acrylic paintings capture the setting; simple, clear diagrams reinforce the math content.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger