Books on Multiplication for Kids
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Below is a continuation of our list of the best books on multiplication for kids:

11.  The King's Commissioners   by Aileen Friedman & Susan Guevara

 (2nd grade - 4th grade) An overwhelmed king appoints new commissioners for every new problem that arises. Soon he realizes that he has no idea how many commissioners there are, so he orders his advisers to count them as they walk through the door. One counts by twos, one by fives, and the princess counts by tens, yet they come up with the same answer. The king is befuddled until the young princess explains the math behind it.

We don't recommend this book for 'just for fun reading', as there just isn't much to the story, but we think it's a great pick for lessons on multiplication for kids. Our favorite part is the vibrant, quirky illustrations that comically depict the dim witted characters in the book. Here are two sample spreads from inside The King's Commissioners:

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12.  Math Appeal 
Mind-Stretching Math Riddles by Greg Tang; illustrated by Harry Briggs

 (1st grade - 4th grade) As we have come to expect from the team of Tang and Briggs, Math Appeal is full of clever, computer- generated illustrations, bouncy rhymes, and challenging math riddles that encourage students to think outside the box when solving problems as well as realize the benefits of grouping when adding, multiplying or dividing. 

School Library Journal sums up their review of the book with: "In a note, Tang states that his goal is 'to encourage clever, creative thinking,' and the questions posed do that. This book will engage readers' visual and auditory senses and may be enjoyed one-on-one or in classroom settings."

Here's a spread from inside the book. Fans of Greg Tang's other books will be familiar with his standard format of one story problem per spread, paired with Harry Brigg's bright computer generated illustrations. In this spread, readers are asked to determine how many sand dollars there are, but not by counting. The poem includes this clue: "Try and make a group of 10,/ Then find this pattern once again." (Answer: There are 30. The first three rows have 10 sand dollars. The next three rows and the three rows after that also have 10 sand dollars. Thus, three groups of 10 equals 30.)

The end of the book provides the answer to each spread, including a small picture showing a strategy for coming up with the solution!

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13.  Too Many Kangaroo Things To Do! 
a MathStart series book by Stuart Murphy; illustrated by Kevin O'Malley

(Preschool - 2nd grade) It’s Kangaroo’s birthday, but no one will play with him: not the emu, the platypuses, the koalas, or even the dingos. They all have too many things to do. What exactly are they doing? They’re using multiplication to figure out just how many things they have to do to plan a big surprise for Kangaroo!  This book was written specifically for using in lessons on multiplication for kids, and was selected as a Best Children’s Science Books 1997 (Science Books and Films).

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14.  The King's Chessboard 
by David Birch; illustrated by Devis Grebu

 (2nd grade - 6th grade)  When a wise man refuses to accept a reward for service to the king, the king insists and so the wise man asks for a payment of rice for each square of the king's chessboard--the amount to be doubled each day. Soon the royal granaries are almost empty-- will the proud king concede that he has been outwitted?

Winner of the Outstanding Science Trade Book from the National Science Teachers Association and Notable Children's Social Studies Book from the National Council for Social Studies. It's a teachers' favorite for using in lessons on multiplication for kids.

Here are sample pages from inside this book:

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15.  7x9=Trouble! 
by Claudia Mills; illustrated by Brian Karas

(2nd grade - 4th grade) If you're teaching multiplication and some students are struggling, try  7 x 9 = Trouble!  Your students will be comforted to hear about how the main character, Wilson, struggles w/ multiplication. A cute subplot involves Wilson's desire for a pet.

Booklist called it "a satisfying, engaging story that captures children's feelings, frustrations, and dialogue." And we agree with School Library Journal''s criticism that while kids can certainly relate to Wilson's emotions, "Wilson never seems to comprehend multiplication, and no one makes an effort to teach him." Thankfully your kids have you!  Note: The book doesn't teach multiplication directly. It's not a teaching aid for use in lessons on multiplication for kids. Instead tells the story of one boy's struggle to learn multiplication.  Below are pages from inside7x9=Trouble:

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16.  Math Attack! 
by Joan Horton; illustrated by Krysten Brooker

(1st grade - 3rd grade) Each time her teacher asks, “What’s seven times ten?” a young girl experiences a severe case of arithmetic strain. “Numbers flew out of my head by the score. They stuck to the ceiling; they bounced off the floor!”

Soon, exploding numbers are taking over her classroom, her school – then the entire town! Ebullient verse and ingenious collage illustrations make this kid-centric romp through the dreaded times tables a read-aloud gem. Clever endpapers feature a multiplication table. A fun read aloud on multiplication for kids.

Here are some sample illustrations from inside Math Attack:

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And lastly here are a few more books to check out. Click on the titles for details.

more books on multiplication for kids:

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