What an amazing story! King Arthur and his knights need to talk about how to prevent a war from happening with a foreign army, but with such a long, rectangular table, it's impossible for everyone to hear each other without yelling! So Arthur asks for the help of one of his most trusted knights - Sir Cumference - and of a charming maiden - Lady Di of Ameter - to solve the problem! Throughout the story, the pair go through different solutions, none of which are the best, to find the perfect table, until they finally decide on the round table. The characters are all named after math and geometry terms, and they all do something that relates to what their names are!

I loved this book for it's sheer creativity! What a way to make kids remember geometry terms! Give the vocabulary a name and a face, and there ya go! It was fun to read and find out all the different ideas Sir Cumference came up with. It was an amazing story, and definitely one I enjoyed reading.

I would use this in a classroom to help reinforce what had just been taught about geometry and the circumference and diameter of a circle. After all, it's one thing to be taught it in math class and be expected to remember boring terms, but when those terms are applied to a fantastical story, it makes it just that much more interesting!

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure is a fun story of how Sir Cumference saves the day by using geometry skills to solve the problem of an imperfect table. The story takes the reader through several different problems on the way to finding the best solution. This story helps reinforce the meaning of several math terms dealing with geometry.
I love this book. It uses a fantasy approach to a problem I have always had in math. By using characters in the story that represent different math terms really is a fun way to learn. I think that students could use background knowledge to connect meaning to the subject matter.

Reading this book could be used as an introduction or a review to a math lesson on how to measure a circle. It will be a great reinforcement to the information being taught.
Another extension could include a circle project. Have students take measured out string and have a scavenger hunt with the idea of measuring different round object found at the school.

Genre: Historical fiction/Informational
Age Appropriateness: Primary/Intermediate
Review: This book is a good example of historical fiction because the imaginative tale of the past reflects historic facts in the text. In the book, the knights have a meeting but are unable to solve any matters because they sit at such a long table where everyone has to shout to be heard. Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter are challenged to find a solution. Readers explore the castle, watch a tournament, and ride along with Sir Cumference as he searches for the shape of the future. In the end, Sir Cumference, Lady Di, and their son, Radius find the answer. This is also a good example of an informational book because the pages include descriptions and visuals on geometric shapes and terms.
Media: This book is a good example of ink and wash. The artwork is lined with the ink and filled and embellished with watercolors. The colors are vibrant and allow readers to connect with the text on a deeper level. Ink and wash has clean lines and offers solid texture.
Characterization: Lady Di is a round character because she encounters a conflict with the table and commits herself to finding a solution. She works with her husband and son to help the King. Readers are able to connect and relate to Lady Di as she tackles the challenge. ( )

I would love to see these books updated because they are really a great way to introduce circumference and pi! ( )

This story is a great example of a powerful theme. The author chose to go for the renaissance theme with knights and royalty. They slip in great math concepts within the story, while still maintaining a fantasy feel to the book. ( )