Minnesota woman writes children's book to encourage everyday math

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For a lot of children, math is not their favorite subject in school. A Minnesota native's new book is hoping to change that.  

After ten-year-old Purpose Price sat down with her mom to read the new children's book Grant Practices Math with Manners. She couldn't help but think of the impression it might leave on others.

“For people who like math and who want to be something like me when they grow up, it’s better to read a book that’s learning about what you want to be than looking at a book about bunnies,” said Purpose.

The book is about a little boy who is empowered by his mom to practice math during day-to-day interactions.

“It’s a big deal, for a young African American boy to see himself on the front cover of a book talking about math,” said Dr. Verna Cornelia Price, the founder of Girls Taking Action program. “That’s a big deal.”

Girls Taking Action is a mentorship program that motivates girls to succeed in school and in life. Nadvia Davis, the book’s author, was a part of the program in high school.

“I describe myself as an average Jane out here grinding honestly, that’s my tag line,” said Davis.

Far from average, Davis decided to write the book after practicing math with her nephew, O'Ryan, at Trader Joe's.

“Another grocery shopper ahead of me saw this interaction taking place between my nephew and I and said, ‘Wow I really wish I would do things like that with my kids and that’s awesome that he’s doing math and practicing it in a public setting,’ so that was really the inspiration for the story,” said Davis.

A story well-worth sharing and one that already gets five stars from Purpose, an aspiring engineer.

“It’s better to learn when you’re young than getting older and have it harder,” said Purpose.

The book is available on Amazon.