30 New Books for Ages 2-18 Join the Mathical List
Berkeley, CA – February 19, 2026 — The Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) announced today the 2026 winners of the Mathical Book Prize, which recognizes outstanding fiction and nonfiction for youth ages 2-18.
2026 Mathical Award Winners
For Preschool students and early readers (PreK), Seven Little Ducklings by Annette LeBlanc Cate (Candlewick Press) follows a mother duck counting carefully as she collects her seven missing ducklings, but her flock grows as she unwittingly rescues more creatures along the way.
Young readers (Grades K-2) are invited to share their thought process — and sometimes whimsical ways — for tallying things up — as they explore colorful photos featuring mathematical groupings of everyday objects in How Did You Count? by two-time Mathical award-winner Christopher Danielson (Stenhouse Publishers).
Elementary readers (Grades 3-5) will be drawn into the playful, true story of a woman from Oregon whose childhood love of exploring patterns led to her many discoveries as a recreational mathematics hobbyist in The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape by Amy Alznauer, illustrated by Anna Bron (Candlewick Press).
Middle school readers (Grades 6-8) may be inspired by Imposter by Cait Levin (Charlesbridge), the story of two high school girls who join their school’s robotics team and make it to the national competition despite the doubts of others.
For young adults (Grades 9-12), Reasons We Break by Jesmeen Kaur Deo (Disney-Hyperion Books) is a high-stakes, romantic drama as a teen makes a desperate bargain to be bookkeeper to a gang, hoping to clear the debts of a troubled friend and keep him out of prison.
The Mathical Prize, now in its 12th year, is selected annually by a committee of PreK-12 math and language arts teachers, librarians, mathematicians, early childhood experts, and others.
The following 25 Mathical Honor Books were also announced by the 2026 selection committee, co-chaired this year by Sondra Eklund of Fairfax County Public Library (Virginia), Chris Nho of Desmos, Dr. John Urschel of the MIT Mathematics Department, and Dr. Terrell Young (co-chair in training) of Brigham Young University.
2026 Mathical Honor Books
PreK (Ages 2-4)
- 10 Cats by Emily Gravett (Boxer Books)
- Hello Hello Numbers by Brendan Wenzel (Chronicle Books)
- Look by Gabi Snyder, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill (Simon & Schuster / Paula Wiseman Books)
- Pêyak Little Duck: A Counting Book in Plains Cree and English by Sandra Lamouche, illustrated by Mando Littlechild (Orca Books)
- Six Little Sticks by Tiffany Stone, illustrated by Ruth Hengeveld (Greystone Books)
- Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Kenard Pak (Kokila Books / Penguin Random House)
Grades K-2 (Ages 5-7)
- 365: How to Count a Year by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Julien Chung (Simon & Schuster / Beach Lane Books)
- One Million Trees: A True Story by Kristen Balouch (Holiday House / Margaret Ferguson Books)
- Over in the Mangroves by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illustrated by Dikshaa Pawaskar (Scholastic)
- Sam Sorts by Marthe Jocelyn (Tundra Books / PRH Canada)
- Toes, Teeth and Tentacles: A Curious Counting Book by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
- Wanda Hears the Stars: A Blind Astronomer Listens to the Universe by Amy S. Hansen and Wanda Díaz Merced, illustrated by Rocío Arreola Mendoza (Charlesbridge)
- Way Past Embarrassed by Hallee Adelman, illustrated by Josep Maria Juli (Albert Whitman & Company)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
- 9 Kilometers by Claudio Aguilera, translated by Lawrence Schimel, and illustrated by Gabriela Lyon (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)
- Mr. Pei’s Perfect Shapes: The Story of Architect I.M. Pei by Julie Leung, illustrated by Yifan Wu (HarperCollins / Quill Tree Books)
- Who Was Katherine Johnson? by Shelia P. Moses and Who HQ, illustrated by Dede Putra (Penguin Young Readers)
- Zero! The Number That Almost Wasn’t by Sarah Albee, illustrated by Chris Hsu (Charlesbridge)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
- Adventures in Math: How to Level Up Your Math Game by Carleigh Wu, illustrated by Sean Simpson (Kids Can Press)
- BenBee and the Teacher Griefer by K.A. Holt (Chronicle Books)
- The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy (HarperCollins: Balzer + Bray)
- The Bluest Sky by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (Knopf Books for Young Readers / Random House)
- Talia’s Codebook for Middle School by Marissa Moss (Candlewick Press)
- The Woman in the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Helped Fly the First Astronauts to the Moon by Richard Maurer (Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan Science and Education)
Grades 9-12 (Ages 14-18)
- The Secret Astronomers: A Novel in Notes by Jessica Walker (Penguin Young Readers)
- The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra (HarperCollins / Quill Tree Books)
The 2026 Mathical Book Prize is awarded by the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath). The prize is awarded in partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and in coordination with the Children’s Book Council (CBC).
Mathical is made possible through the generous support of the Firedoll Foundation and the Guru Krupa Foundation.
The Mathical List presently includes 209 titles for PreK through high school readers. Mathical Books donates thousands of books annually to organizations and schools serving low-income families in Oakland, California, and nationwide.
More than 10,000 children from PreK through 8th grade read Mathical Books during Fall 2025. They were participating in the second annual Mathical Readathon. Together, they spanned 21 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
SLMath partners with organizations to distribute Mathical titles and resources nationally to children in need. Partners include the Early Math Project, the Guru Krupa Foundation, NCTE, NCTM, the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE), School Library Journal, TeachingBooks, and selected organizations serving unhoused women and children in the San Francisco Bay Area, West Coast, and Pacific Northwest.
Additional resources for families, educators, and libraries including grade-level flyers, news and reviews, and reading guides can be accessed at mathicalbooks.org.
Contact us: mathical@slmath.org
About SLMath: The Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath), formerly known as the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), is one of the world’s preeminent centers for collaborative research in mathematics. Located in Berkeley, California, the mission of SLMath is to advance mathematical research, foster talent and community, and further the appreciation and understanding of mathematics. SLMath strives to make mathematics accessible and exciting to those outside the field through film production (most recently Journeys of Black Mathematicians, airing on PBS and public television stations nationwide through 2030), and the Mathical Book Prize. SLMath is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation with additional support from other government agencies, private foundations and corporations, individual donors, and over 110 academic institutions worldwide. www.slmath.org
2026 Mathical Book List & Flyers
Join us in sharing a love of math-related kids’ books far and wide, or find more Mathical printables to explore.
- Download all Mathical age-level book list flyers, 2015-2026 (PDF), or download a flyer for each age level. Each flyer contains complete book list on page 2.
- Download all 2026 Mathical Prize book covers (.zip file, 9.25 MB, downloads automatically upon click)
- Download Mathical logos
Looking for Mathical Books? Check your local libraries and bookstores, or visit our partners at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) on Bookshop.org.