Title: Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail
Author: Danica McKellar
Publication Year: 2009
Website: www.danicamckellar.com
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Review: I love math. There are also a couple decades between me and middle school. Therefore, I am not the target audience for this book. However, I occasionally watched The Wonder Years growing up and was fascinated by the idea of a book called Math Doesn’t Suck, by Winnie Cooper, who apparently in real life is a brainy girl (like me). I have to say that I thought she did an amazing job on this book. It’s fun, entertaining, relatable, and easy to understand.
The only minor issue I have with this book is who would actually find it helpful. With chapter titles like “You Can Never Have Too Many Shoes”, boys are obviously out. I think girls who already understood math would find this book entertaining, but maybe not super useful if they already understood the concepts. Therefore, that leaves girls (in middle or even high school) who are struggling with math. I think this book would help them. I really do. However, since math has always come pretty easily to me, I can’t say for sure. I think this book would at least help, if not make everything crystal clear.
Before I had kids, when I first started working at a government lab, I was the only female PhD in my building of like 30 people. In my opinion, any book that will encourage girls to pursue science and engineering is relevant, necessary, and awesome. (Personal Rating: 8/10)
Michelle has a PhD in Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor's Degree from the California Institute of Technology. 
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