Too Many Toothbrushes

Title: Too Many Toothbrushes

Author: Jordan Brown
Illustrations: Heather Drake
Grade Level: 2

Common Core Standards Addressed: 

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.OA.A.1
Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.OA.B.2
Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies.2 By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.5
Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.9
Explain why addition and subtraction strategies work, using place value and the properties of operations. 

Summary:
This book is about a girl named Annie who collects many items. One day, she realizes that she has no more room to fit anything else in her collection. With the help of her friends, Annie decides to give away as her entire toothbrush collection. Will she be able to make more room for more items? Come read along and help Annie with some subtraction as she tries to make some space in her collection!

Rating: ****
I gave this book 4 stars because of the one way math that is presented throughout the story. Without using different variations of number sentences and expressions, kids are limited to simple subtraction by two digit numbers. However, I did enjoy the strategies that were used and explained in the book such as skip counting by 10, rounding to a bundle of 10, and recognition of halfing a number then using it. The twist at the end of the story is what bought the book its fourth star.

Classroom Ideas:
This book used many word problems throughout the story to vary the different people and situations that Annie came across. For a classroom activity, students would be broken up into groups of 3 or 4 and given 99 Popsicle sticks to represent the toothbrushes. Each group would then be responsible for creating at least 5 word problems of them giving away their "toothbrushes" around the school. Word problems and number sentences are to be turned in as a group with the correct math shown.