The Reading Warehouse

Help kids with their math skills plus their reading skills with the engaging and fun MathStart series

Bug Dance is perfect for teaching directions to pre-K through kindergarteners. The bugs in Coach Caterpillar's gym class are learning a new dance. But Centipede can't do it If he can't learn the directions left, right, forward, and backward, this class will be one big FLOP

Kids will love the story and the illustrations by Christopher Santoro. Parents and educators will love how the story and pictures make understanding the math concepts a breeze--as well as the concrete examples of how math works. The book contains activities for adults to do with kids to extend math into their own lives. Math = Fun

MathStart is an award-winning series by Stuart J. Murphy that teaches math through stories and visual models. Young readers find the stories engaging and relatable, because each story revolves around practical applications of the math concept being presented and features lively art from top-notch illustrators.

Charts and other visual representations help children understand how the math works and promote deeper comprehension. This unique combination of stories, illustrations, and visual models helps teachers and parents in the teaching of math and provides all children with the opportunity to succeed.

The 63-book series is divided into three levels with 21 books in each. The math concepts taught in MathStart books conform to state and national standards. Level 1 is Pre-K-Kindergarten; Level 2 is Grades 1-3; Level 3 is Grades 2-4. The series follows math topics across grades so there is a foundational path to learning that runs through the levels.

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has a strong background in design and art direction. He also has extensive experience in the world of educational publishing. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math.

Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Boston.

Christopher Santoro has been illustrating children's books for more than thirty years, including Grandpappy Snippy Snappies; A Pie Went By, a NEST Literary Classic; and the Dom DeLuise picture books Charlie the Caterpillar, Hansel and Gretel, The Nightingale, and King Bob's New Clothes. Christopher has been honored by the Society of Illustrators, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the American Library Association, and The New Yorker. He lives in Key West, Florida, with two cats, Ernie and Truman, and a dog, Stuart.