Manga Math Mysteries 5: The Ancient Formula: a Mystery With Fractions

"This title demonstrates the use of mathematics in scientific discovery. For the middle school student embarking on the exploration of multiplication and division, the book is a nice read. The presentation of the topics does not separate the mathematics from the story. The illustrations are great and provide good visual aids to understanding how sets are used in calculations. The story illustrates both the importance of using the scientific method to find solutions to problems and the dangers of hasty generalizations. Overall, this title presents accurate information with an appeal to middle school/junior high students. The book is probably best used for general awareness of mathematical principles. The information presented does not have the technical treatment needed to classify the book as a reference work; however, it is a fun read, and readers who are just learning about multiplication and division or who have recently learned these topics could begin to understand the usefulness of mathematics in problem solving." --Science Books & Films

"This fifth volume in the Manga Math Mysteries series features a puzzle dealing with a formula for jow, a Chinese medicine for kung fu students; this particular formula was created long ago by Sifu Leung, and Sifu Faiza's grandfather wrote it in code in his journal, which has been entrusted to Joy. The students try to figure out the formula using fractions, but they realize some parts are missing. This series helps show how people use math every day along with presenting some fun mysteries and character lessons with lively, colorful illustrations." --Booklist

Melinda Thielbar is a writer, teacher, statistician, and student of the martial arts. Manga Math Mysteries, including The Kung Fu Puzzle and The Secret Ghost is her first children's series.

In 2005, Melinda left SAS to finish a PhD in statistics. She was awarded a VIGRE fellowship at North Carolina State University. This fellowship is awarded to students likely to make a strong contribution to education in the mathematics and statistics field. Again, Melinda earned a fantastic reputation in the classroom. Her statistics lectures and examples were known for their ability to hold her students' interest--no easy task in a statistics for non-majors class that's held at 8:00am.

Melinda lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, writer Richard Dansky, and their three cats. She is currently working on the research portion of her PhD.