Fractions in Disguise

December 23, 2013
Einhorn, who addressed probability in A Very Improbable Story, explains simplifying fractions in this whimsical, if sometimes convoluted addition to the Charlesbridge Math Adventures series. The dorkily dapper narrator, a sort of fractions-loving cousin to Richie Rich, explains that he's been collecting fractionsârepresented by pie graphs mounted on pedestalsâ"for exactly 2/3 of my life." When a 5/9 comes up for auction, he bids "1/2 of a million dollars," but a competing bidder steals the object when the lights go out during the auction. George uses a whisk and computer parts to make a Reducer, a device that is "1/2 ray gun and 1/2 calculator" and can reduce a fraction to its lowest form, thereby removing its "disguise." The boy visits the thief's castle and zaps his collection of fractions in hopes of finding one that reduces to 5/9. Featuring several characters reminiscent of Ronald Searle's caricatures, Clark's (Higgins Hole) ink-and-watercolor cartoons build on the story's humor, and Einhorn works hard to give the story a sense of drama, but wordy explanations of reducing sap some of the momentum. Ages 7â10.

February 1, 2014
Grades 1-3 Instead of baseball cards or action figures, George collects fractions (illustrated as thick round discs mounted, trophy-like, on pedestals). At an auction, the tuxedo-clad boy competes against three rivals, including the nefarious Dr. Brok. The bidding for a coveted 5/9 approaches one million dollars when the lights go out and the fraction disappears. So does Dr. Brok. Armed with a homemade gizmo for reducing fractions, George follows the scoundrel to his mansion, where the boy must find the treasured 5/9, cleverly hidden in plain sight. A playwright, Einhorn manages to keep up the dramatic tension between the intrepid hero and the sneering villain while slipping in bits of fraction-wrangling information along the way. Using a restrained palette, cartoonist Clark boosts the story's comedy and its drama with his exaggerated portrayals of the characters and their actions. An appended page tells and shows how to reduce a fraction, an idea that even noncollectors may find useful. This amusing book could help lessen the all-too-common fear of fractions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)