McKellar Math was born in 2007, a few years after Danica McKellar spoke before a Congressional Committee about why kids in the United States are far behind kids of many other countries in math scores, and why girls especially begin to shy away from math in middle school. A recent UCLA graduate with a degree in Mathematics, McKellar pledged to Congress that she would be a part of the solution. Identifying the problem as largely cultural – kids in the US tend to view math as boring, scary and just for nerds – McKellar challenged these stereotypes with her first book, aimed at middle school kids: Math Doesn’t Suck. This how-to book was a runaway bestseller; and McKellar was named ‘Person of the Week” on ABC World News upon the book’s release for her positive contribution as an author and as a role model for kids everywhere. The incredible success of Math Doesn’t Suck led to three more books in the series, Kiss My Math, Hot X: Algebra Exposed, and Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape.
The mission of McKellar Math is to explain math concepts in fun, easy-to-digest ways with colorful analogies and simple tricks, and to show kids that math is an inherent part of the world around them. McKellar Math gives kids the tools they need to succeed in math and to build the confidence that comes from feeling smart.
This New York Times bestselling series of math books has helped hundreds of thousands of students to improve their math scores, and their outlook on math itself Now it is was time for McKellar Math to focus on the youngest audience! March 2017 saw the release of Goodnight Numbers, the youngest of the McKellar Math books, aimed at toddlers. Goodnight Numbers, an instant New York Times bestseller, is the first in an 8-book series that will become available over the next few years, spanning toddlerhood through the 3rd grade, with the remaining books becoming available over the next few years. Ten Magic Butterflies, aimed at kids 4-7 yrs old, is an enchanted story which also just so happens to teach the various ways to make ten (9 + 1, 8 + 2, etc) and it hits the shelves March 2018, followed by two more later in the year. McKellar Math aims to ensure that kids experience math as a delight, a fun challenge, and an opportunity to get stronger and smarter – in all areas of life.
In addition to her lifelong acting career, Danica McKellar is an internationally-recognized mathematician and advocate for math education. A summa cum laude graduate of UCLA with a degree in Mathematics, Danica has been honored in Britain’s esteemed Journal of Physics and the New York Times for her work in mathematics, most notably for her role as co-author of a ground-breaking mathematical physics theorem which bears her name (The Chayes-McKellar-Winn Theorem).