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Welcome to my Kitchen and my Bookshelf, where I pair a delicious recipe with a wonderful book! Today, I can't wait to share with you we three math related books and one amazing shortbread recipe!  I discovered this Custard Biscuit recipe inside a special Community Cookbook I picked up in Groam, Scotland. The Groam House Museum houses the Pictish Carved Stones of Rosemarkie as well as a collection of Celtic Art and Knots. This shortbread biscuit recipe surprises you with simplicity; the slightly salty, sweet, and crisp cookie is perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea. I feel it is appropriate to share the full recipe here because, unless you are able to get to The Groam House Museum in Scotland, you will not have access to purchasing the cookbook. Ingredients: 170g butter (or margarine) 170g self-raising flour 60g caster sugar 60g custard powder Further caster sugar to dust Method: Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Cream together sugar and butter. Add the flour and custard powder. Roll into walnut sized balls and coat with additional caster sugar. Place the balls on a greased (or parchment lined) baking tray, leaving space between for expansion. Flatten with a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes. So, now, grab that cup of tea and enjoy your biscuits while reading some math related picture books! After reading, you may be inspired to play some Pictish Board Games.  Bracelets for Bina's Brothers by Rajani Larocca (Author) Chaaya Prabhat (Illustrator) "Bina loves her three brothers, even though they can be annoying, and every year, their family celebrates Raksha Bandhan, a Hindu custom that affirms the bond between brothers and sisters. According to the tradition, sisters tie bracelets on their brothers' wrists to protect them, and in return, brothers give their sisters gifts. This year, Bina decides she will make the bracelets herself, using beads of their favorite colors along with an "extra-special" bead to symbolize their unique interests. Here Bina's task takes on a mathematical twist as she arranges the beads using an every-other-one pattern." - Booklist  The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman (Author) Leuyen Pham (Illustrator) "Most people think of mathematicians as solitary, working away in isolation. And, it's true, many of them do. But Paul Erdos never followed the usual path. At the age of four, he could ask you when you were born and then calculate the number of seconds you had been alive in his head. But he didn't learn to butter his own bread until he turned twenty. Instead, he traveled around the world, from one mathematician to the next, collaborating on an astonishing number of publications. With a simple, lyrical text and richly layered illustrations, this is a beautiful introduction to the world of math and a fascinating look at the unique character traits that made "Uncle Paul" a great man. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2013 A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2013" ~ Bookshop.org  Danny Chung Sums It Up by Maisie Chan (Author) Natelle Quek (Illustrator) "Eleven-year-old Danny's life is turned upside down when his Chinese grandmother comes to live with his family in England. Things get worse when Danny finds out he'll have to share his room with her, and she took the top bunk! At first, Danny is frustrated that he can't communicate with her because she doesn't speak English--and because he's on the verge of failing math and Nai Nai was actually a math champion back in the day. It just feels like he and his grandmother have nothing in common. His parents insist that Danny help out, so when he's left to look after Nai Nai, he leaves her at the bingo hall for the day to get her off his back. But he soon discovers that not everyone there is as welcoming as he expected . . . Through the universal languages of math and art, Danny realizes he has more in common with his Nai Nai than he first thought. Filled with heart and humor, Danny Chung Sums It Up shows that traversing two cultures is possible and worth the effort, even if it's not always easy." ~Bookshop.org SOURCES:
The Groam House Museum Bookshop.org Please consider using this Bookshop.org link (above) when purchasing books, in lieu of Amazon.com. A portion of the purchase price supports small businesses. Thanks! |
