Charlotte Morgan and the Great Big Math Problem--Chapter 6 --Missing Items

 This is my next book. 

 It is currently being copy edited, (so there will be the occasional typo in this version) and I am having a few illustrations done.

I am including the tag #steemiteducation because I wrote this thinking like a teacher.  The characters use math and describe their math thinking as they work through problems.  I am a former 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade teacher, so I used my experience and background from those years as I wrote this.

Click here for chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Summary: Toys and items go missing.

It was Saturday, and on Saturdays, I get to have two waffles for breakfast.  I add butter and blueberries on top, and I cover them in maple syrup.

“What’s three times seven?” my dad asked as he drank his coffee.

“21,” I replied through two huge slices of waffles in my mouth.

“Good job, Tambourine.  I guess I need to start asking double digit multiplication facts.”

“I know my tens.  They’re easy.”

“How are they easy?” asked my dad.

“Simple.  You just take the number and add a zero to it.  Three times ten is thirty.”  I took a sip of orange juice.  “And elevens are easy too.  You just double the other number.  Two times eleven is twenty-two, Three times eleven is thirty-three, four times eleven is forty-four.  See? Easy.”

“Then maybe the 12s,” said my dad.

I finished off my breakfast, “Can I be excused before you start quizzing me on the 12s?”

“Yes, you remember to clean your room, before you go outside to play,” my dad instructed me.

I cleaned my plate, and went to my room.  The first thing I did was take down the 14 on the wall, and replace with the 13.  There were now 13 days left before the Turing Math Bee.  That’s roughly 312 hours.

I cleaned my room, and I took Charlie outside to play.

I wanted to teach Charlie to fetch.  I threw a yellow tennis ball, he ran after it and grabbed it after it bounced a few times.  But he didn’t bring it back.  He dropped it, and picked it up.  He dropped it and picked it up again.

“Charlie!  Come here boy!  Bring me the ball!  Come!”  I patted my knees.  Charlie looked at me and ran to me.  But he left the tennis ball behind him.  His ears flapped as he ran.

“Hey Charlotte!” Marcus walked around the side of the house and into the backyard.

“Hi Marcus, what’s going on?”

“I am missing some my Magnix set, especially the yellow circles.  Did I leave them here?”

“I didn’t see any in my room.” I replied.

“Charlotte!” I could hear Aaron’s voice from the street in front of the house.

“We’re back here Aaron,” I yelled.

Aaron came into the backyard.  “Charlotte I’m missing five pawns, did I leave them here?”

“What is it with you two?  I didn’t see them after you left.  I just made my bed and cleaned my room, I didn’t see any of your stuff. We can go and check again if you want.”

“Yes!” they both shouted at the same time.

Five minutes later, me and the boys are messing up my clean room as we look for their missing items.  

“They’re not under the bed,” Aaron observed.

“They’re not on the floor,” Marcus said.

“And they’re not in my closet,” I said, as I rummaged through the closet.  “I’m sorry guys, you collected your stuff as you left last night.”

“You left your window open last night during dinner or after wards?” Aaron pointed at the window, it was still open.

“Yeah, you remember us leaving it open as we went to eat dinner!” I replied.

“Maybe some came in here and stole our stuff!” said Marcus.

“How would they get in here?” I asked.  What a silly thought.

Marcus pointed to the tree outside my window.  “Someone could have gotten in by going up the latter to the tree house and then onto the branch and then into the window.”

“That’s crazy!” I said.

“Watch me!” Marcus replied.

Then Marcus jumped out the window.

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