I’m often asked where the idea for The Math Kids originated. I ran an elementary school math camp for 6 years. The first year most of the kids said they were only there because their parents made them. When they returned the following year, they said they wanted to be there. By the third year, I had to turn students away and I had parents calling me in January to get signed up for the summer camp. One of the things I learned is that one of the most effective methods of teaching is through stories. Those stories were the genesis of The Math Kids series. Twelve books later those stories are now being told all around the world with translations in multiple languages, including Korean, Mongolian, Chinese and Turkish.

The Emily and Sam series began with requests from parents who told me their kids loved The Math Kids series but wondered if I could write a series for their younger children.

Prior to becoming a full-time author, I did everything from writing missile guidance equations, designing monitoring systems for Facebook data centers, and starting two software companies. When I’m not writing or visiting schools, I coach elementary school math teams, tutor GED students, and teach math to high school students through the University of Missouri St. Louis Bridge program.