The City of Streets · ages 9-14

The Ledger That Wouldn't Balance

The idea: units, and checking a sum the other way.

Read it

Who is in this book

Inkling a child of the Green Names what she notices
Vetta Look back and check the answer against the question from ReckonQuest
Tagg Write the unit beside every number from ReckonQuest
Beto a child of the Green Takes things apart
Doodle Draw the problem as a bar before you add it from ReckonQuest
Danya a child of the Green Asks "how do we know?"

Every recurring character has a short tune, so you can tell who is on stage before a word is said. The tunes play only when you tap, and the Reading Access sound switch turns them off.

The Honest Page

Which parts of this story are true, stretched or made up?

True

240 pence and 300 pence and 150 pence make 690 pence, which is six pounds ninety.
Adding numbers in a different order gives the same total, which is a good way to check a sum. Source
Mixing units in one column is a real and common cause of accounting and engineering mistakes. Source

Stretched

A real fair ledger would list every sale, not one line for each stall. What we simplified: Three lines keep the sum short enough to check in your head.

Made up

Tally Row and its reckoners are made up.

Tell it back

Tell the story in your own words: who was there, what went wrong, and what they found out. Then a copper key from Tally Row, second on the ring goes on your belt.

Ring the hammer for someone

Pick this book for someone younger. The link carries only the book, and it will wait for them on the Green.

Across the Table → For the grown-up: the story in three lines, one question to ask, and one thing to do together.