Numbed!

The plot is thin, but the humor is engaging, and the math very clever. I *love* that Lubar points out that math is so much more than just arithmetic. Not to mention that multiplication and division are just faster ways of doing addition and subtraction.

I particularly appreciate the 'brain teasers' on the math test, and the fact that the answers are *not* given in the book. And I love the observation that "money is easier to think about than numbers" and therefore the boys figured out something that I don't know if I ever have used. That is to say, multiplying by 25 is really dividing by 4 and adding two zeroes....

I did not appreciate the foreshadowing at the end of the chapters, but it's common in MG fiction, esp. that aimed at show more reluctant readers, so I guess kids are ok with it. For example, at the end of Chapter 4x25 [divided by] (2x5), "At that moment, I didn't see any way he could possibly be wrong."

I don't know if I like the bits of writing that are actually meant to be a story. But again, they're funny in a juvenile sort of way, so ok. "The orange-banana Slush Monster with extra honey is a about as perfect a drink as you can get. It has enough fruit to make Mom happy and enough sugar to keep me hoppy."

Quick read, recommended to kids who love math as well as those who dislike it. show less

Numbed! is a quirky book about a group of boys who go on a field trip to a math museum. They all believe that math is no fun, until they are accidentally zapped by a robot that makes them forget how to do math. They learn throughout the course of the book that math is actually important in life. I liked this book for a few reasons. First, the language used is filled with math puns and humor that I enjoyed reading. "'We don't have math until the end of the day,' Benedict said. 'I've got it all figured out. You'll have to break your leg right before then. But at least you won't miss lunch. I'll help you to the nurse's office. And then we can go to the museum right after school.' 'On my broken leg?' I asked. 'Are you planning to carry show more me?'" The characters in this story are also very believable. The boys react in such a way that I can imagine boys in real life reacting if they found out they could no longer understand math. Lastly, the plot was well paced and the flow of the book left me wanting to continue to read. At no point during reading I became bored. show less