Life of Fred

The funniest math books you'll ever encounter. These story-based math texts will not only make math fun and clear, your students will also gain solid preparation for SAT exams and upper-division mathematics.

Which Life of Fred books should you get?

If you can count, add, and subtract to 10, you are ready to start Life of Fred: Apples. All students through 4th grade should start with Apples as even these early titles introduce higher level math concepts you will need later.

Which Life of Fred book is right for me?

Don't be misled by the basic titles. Life of Fred math and science books cover much more in each text than you may expect. As you click through each title, you'll see a list of what's covered (some people call this a "Scope and Sequence." You will be best served by going through each book in order.

Kindergarten through 4th Grade - Elementary Series Life of Fred Books

1. Apples
2. Butterflies
3. Cats
4. Dogs
5. Edgewood
6. Farming
7. Goldfish
8. Honey
9. Ice Cream
10. Jelly Beans

4th & 5th Grade - Intermediate Series

These books cover topics for roughly grades 4-5 and prepare your child for Life of Fred: Fractions. By the time your child finishes Jelly Beans, they will have the skills to begin learning fractions. But because a student can quickly progress through the elementary books, your student might not be old enough for Fractions (author recommends 5th grade). That is where this Intermediate series comes in handy. These books allow your child more practice of arithmetic until they are old enough for Fractions (author recommends 10 years of age).

11. Kidneys
12. Liver
13. Mineshaft

Pre-High School Math - Pre-Algebra Set

This set can be started with any child who can add and subtract well and knows how to do long multiplication and division.

This set would be considered a middle school math program, for students in 5th through 9th grades. When they are finished these books, they are ready to begin the High School Set. Many high school aged students would benefit by going quickly through these books to lay foundations that they might have missed.

1. Fractions
2. Decimals and Percents
3. Pre-Algebra 0 with Physics
4. Pre-Algebra 1 with Biology
5. Pre-Algebra 2 with Economics

A Note About 5th Grade and above

5th graders and some 6th graders should start with the Intermediate series before starting with Fractions. You'll even benefit from the last two books in the Elementary series as well (Ice Cream and Jelly Beans). After you know your addition and multiplication tables, you are ready for Life of Fred: Fractions. You will go far beyond elementary knowledge of fractions! Even if you already know how to divide up a pie so that you get the biggest "fraction," this is absolutely the right place to start.

NOTE: If your student has finished all of the Elementary books but is not old enough for 5th Grade, we recommend that you go through the Elementary books again. Like any good book, you learn more the second (or third) time through. You don't need to hold your student back, but your child will not be behind if you wait until they are 10 before tackling the Pre-Algebra series.

It is also recommended that you have younger students (1st or 2nd grade) go through the first few books with you before doing them again on their own. This will give them necessary review and give them time to prepare for Life of Fred: Fractions.