Shark Swimathon — Stuart J. Murphy

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

Shark Swimathon is perfect for teaching subtracting 2-digit numbers to second, third, and fourth graders. The Ocean City Sharks have to swim 75 laps by the end of the week, and every day they figure out how many laps are left to go. 

Kids will love the story and the funny illustrations by Lynne Cravath. Parents and other educators will love how the story and pictures make understanding comparisons 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.