Books by genre
Top 12 math and puzzle books for kids
Math story books teach concepts without worksheets. This list leans toward picture books and narratives that make fractions, big numbers and patterns feel real. The Number Devil is for older, more confident readers.
Titles were chosen from award winners, ALSC notable lists and long-running library favorites, then each title and author was checked against Open Library in Oct 2026. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table
Cindy Neuschwander · Ages 6-10
A knight and his family invent a round table. The first of the Sir Cumference series on geometry.
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The Boy Who Loved Math
Deborah Heiligman · Ages 5-9
A picture biography of Paul Erdős.
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Math Curse
Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith · Ages 5-9
A child sees everything as a math problem. Funny.
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How Much Is a Million?
David M. Schwartz · Ages 5-9
A wizard explains large numbers with images.
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G Is for Googol
David M. Schwartz · Ages 7-11
An A-to-Z of math terms with jokes.
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Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!
Marilyn Burns · Ages 6-9
A seating problem at a family dinner shows area and perimeter.
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The Grapes of Math
Greg Tang · Ages 6-9
Poems that teach number tricks for grouping.
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Fractions in Disguise
Edward Einhorn · Ages 7-11
A boy catches a thief whose fractions are in disguise. Humorous.
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Zero the Hero
Joan Holub · Ages 5-9
Zero tries to show that he counts. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld.
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A Remainder of One
Elinor J. Pinczes · Ages 5-8
A bug parade explains remainders.
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Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar
Masaichiro Anno and Mitsumasa Anno · Ages 6-10
A jar contains seas, islands, countries and more, illustrating factorials.
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The Number Devil
Hans Magnus Enzensberger · Ages 10-14
A boy meets a devil who teaches him math in dreams.
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