Powerful Mathematicians Who Changed the World, Grades 3-5 : Maria Ascher and Knotting Numbers

On her first day at a new school, Liliana is challenged by a tricky math problem and classmates who doubt her abuela’s method. Guided by her teacher and a visiting professor, she learns that every culture can bring its own clever way to solve problems, uncovering math’s hidden beauty.

When Liliana has her first day at a new school, she’s nervous about making new friends, and a math problem in her class doesn’t help. After she shares her abuela’s strategy for solving the problem, some of her classmates don’t understand or think her way is wrong. Liliana’s teacher, Ms. Edwards, asks her friend Marcia Ascher, a professor and mathematician, to describe to the students how different cultures have their own ways of doing math. In Knotting Numbers, you can learn alongside Liliana and her classmates as Professor Ascher explains that there isn’t always just one way to solve a math problem—which makes math even more interesting for everyone!

Knotting Numbers is part of the Powerful Mathematicians Who Changed the World book series.

Edited by Christa Jackson and illustrated by Estrella Bascuñan, the Powerful Mathematicians who Changed the World book series centers on underrepresented mathematicians we do not typically hear or learn about in school. By reading the stories, you and your child will gain insight into the remarkable work of these mathematicians, learn about their mathematical contributions, and become more intrigued and see yourself more as learners and doers of mathematics.

You and your child will see how mathematics helps us understand the world in which we live through these captivating stories. You will witness your own mathematical brilliance.