Review of The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Math Girls by Tom Durwood

Young Adult

This is the second book in the series of Ruby Pi. Both book feature a series of historical fiction stories that are based on young women using math.
Opinion
I had high hopes for this book. Having a love for math, I wanted something that would bring younger people to see the value and love of numbers. What I found was interesting but disjointed. I think that Durwood, in his attempt to keep the stories short, cut too much of the necessary background. I had difficulty following the stories.
I was intrigued by the math but it too was cut short. This, I understand. I have two math degrees so my interest and understanding goes beyond the typical. Durwood needed to cut it short to keep from losing the common interest.
What I did find helpful was that Durwood added notes at the end of each story. I honestly would enjoy reading his footnotes without the story. His connection of math to what happened in history in these footnotes was more interesting than the stories themselves.
Many thanks to Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for providing me an ARC of this book.

Buy it here