Halloween Math

2 X 2 = Boo: A Set of Spooky Multiplication Stories by Loreen Leedy

This is a simple, fun book to use during Halloween time for a review of the times table through 5.  It covers the times tables from 0 to 5 in six chapters, cleverly starting from "Chapter 0."  In Chapter 0, a witch named Griselda makes scary creatures disappear, starting with one vampire and ending with 5 ghosts, by multiplying them by zero.  In Chapter 1, a ghost brings in one bag of candy to Dr. Nelson, who then multiplies the one bag by 2,3,4, and 5 to create more bags of candy.  At the end of the chapter, they burst the machine by multiplying one by 99.  In Chapter 2 Griselda puts on "Dr. Spook's Doublevision Spectacles" and sees everything double: a moosehead, 2 boots, 3 witches hats, 4 brooms, and 5 books.  In Chapter 3, a hen and fox need a 3 scarecrows to frighten all the crows eating their corn.  They need 3 pumpkins for heads. Each pumpkin has 2 eyes and 3 teeth.  The scarecrows each need 4 limbs and 5 strings of hair.  In Chapter 4, a big bat shows that he is 4 times bigger than a small bat and needs more to eat.  He takes 1 cookie, 2 rotten apples, 3 slimy worms, 4 stinky fish, and 5 warty toads from the small bat and multiplies them by 4.  In Chapter 5, Mr. Bones and Mrs. Tibia are making a stew.  But the recipe is for one, and they will be serving 5.  So need need 5 times as many of each ingredient: one bouncy eyeball, 2 knobby knuckles, three pointy ears, 4 smelly toes, and 5 scaly tales.  At the end of the book, the 5 times tables are illustrated with pictures from the story.  Quick and easy read.  Ages 6-9.