Independent Reading Level: Grades 1-3

Age:4-8y

I found this story to be more about a math lesson than about the Great Depression. Marshall is frustrated with his family’s financial situation, he has to eat beans every single night. One day in a store window Marshall sees a contest, guessing the number of beans in the jar, and the prize was a brand new sewing machine. Marshall wants to win for his mother. Marshall is able to use his knowledge of measurements to correctly guess the number of beans. This story touches on the importance of education, family, hard work, and even a touch on segregation. The illustrations were my favorite part of this story. I really enjoyed the watercolor. ( )

This book takes place during the time period of the Great Depression. Marshall is the main character in this story, who is not too fond of eating beans repeatedly due to his Father losing his job and money being tight for his family. One day, Marshall and his brother walk by a store with a sign regarding a guessing game of how many beans are in a jar, and the winner wins a sewing machine. Applying the arithmetic he learned in Math class, Marshall correctly guesses how many beans are in the jar. His Mother won the sewing machine and she was able to get paid for all of the sewing she was completing. This book has some themes that are crucial for readers to takeaway from, as well as discuss. For example, Math can apply to a lot of real-world situations, being grateful for what you have, and what life was life during the Great Depression. The images in this book are very well though out. They show the setting and clothing of the time period, as well as the characters emotions, leaving room for young readers to apply what they are reading or hearing to the pictures. ( )

At first, I wasn't sure why this book was tagged as a math book. This book is about a young boy, Marshall, who hates eating beans, but that is all his family can afford. When he and his younger brother walk by a nearby store, he sees a sign that says "How many beans are in this jar? Win this brand new sewing machine!" The family joins together to solve the puzzle. At first, they try to use a similar size jar, but that strategy doesn't quite work out. The next day, the teacher says, "Use what you already know to solve the problem." That gives Marshall an idea, and he gathers what he knows about measurement to solve the problem.

I think this book is an important read because it addresses how math connects to everyday life. Students are always going to ask, "why do I need to know this?" Students need help bridging math concepts to its real-world application, and I think that this book shows how what the student was learning in school actually applied to his life. I will definitely use this book when teaching about volume during a measuring unit. ( )