SIR CUMFERENCE AND THE SWORD IN THE CONE
Author: Cindy Neuschwander
Illustrator: Wayne Geehan
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Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (USA) First published in: 2003 Format: Picturebook Is the mathematical focus explicit in the story? Yes Is this story part of a mathematics story series? Yes (Sir Cumference and Charlesbridge's Math Adventure) Preview and/or purchase this book on the Amazon websites: UK, USA, AUS, CAN Synopsis by the author/publisher
King Arthur has issued a challenge. The first knight to find the sword Edgecalibur will be the next king. Join Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter, and their son, Radius, as they race to help their friend, Vertex, find the sword and discover the secrets of cubes, pyramids, cylinders, and cones. |
“"Edgecalibur could be hidden inside any one of those cones," Vertex said. "But the cone we seek must be three times as tall as its base is wide."”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Cindy Neuschwander’s (2003) ‘Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone’ is the fourth title in the Sir Cumference series. The story follows Vertex, one of five young knights chosen by King Arthur to compete to become his heir apparent by solving a riddle (‘The shapes that make two will pass the test, But one that does not must be your quest …’). Cindy did a great job here in using Euler’s Law (i.e. when a number of faces of a geometric solid is added to the number of its points/vertices, and subtract the number of its edges, the answer will always be two) as her inspiration for King Arthur’s riddle. The story provides teachers and parents with opportunities for children to practise describing properties of 3D shapes e.g. number of their faces, edges and points. The story is well paced and packed with puzzles. It is like a children’s and mathematical version of The Da Vinci Code. We have nothing but praises for this great work of literature and mathematics by Cindy. All in all, ‘Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone’ is a wonderful story picture book to introduce the concept of 3D shapes and their properties to children aged 9+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher/author)
Recommended age range:
9+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
3D Shapes
Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.
Cindy Neuschwander’s (2003) ‘Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone’ is the fourth title in the Sir Cumference series. The story follows Vertex, one of five young knights chosen by King Arthur to compete to become his heir apparent by solving a riddle (‘The shapes that make two will pass the test, But one that does not must be your quest …’). Cindy did a great job here in using Euler’s Law (i.e. when a number of faces of a geometric solid is added to the number of its points/vertices, and subtract the number of its edges, the answer will always be two) as her inspiration for King Arthur’s riddle. The story provides teachers and parents with opportunities for children to practise describing properties of 3D shapes e.g. number of their faces, edges and points. The story is well paced and packed with puzzles. It is like a children’s and mathematical version of The Da Vinci Code. We have nothing but praises for this great work of literature and mathematics by Cindy. All in all, ‘Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone’ is a wonderful story picture book to introduce the concept of 3D shapes and their properties to children aged 9+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher/author)
Recommended age range:
9+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
3D Shapes
Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.
