Additional information
by Emmanuel Everett (Illustrator), Marcus Mafematics Johnson (Author)
Have you ever thought about ways to make money to get something you want? Jabari James thought the same thing. Candy King teaches kids a fun way to apply mathematics through economics. Jabari is a genius middle schooler from the Bronx, New York that loves math, hip hop and basketball. Although he's already known for his brilliance in the classroom he is determined to buy the hottest pair of basketball sneakers so that he can become more popular at his school. With the help of his little sister, Makeda, and his best friend, Antoine, he decides to start a candy business so that he can raise the money. All the while, Jabari keeps having these strange dreams about a candy world that are full of puzzles and mysteries. The mysteries include a candy river, moving trees, and candy eating lions. When he finally solves the mysteries in his dream world, he finds there's a direct connection to what he's trying to figure out with his business in the real world. Jabari faces many obstacles in pursuing his goal, but he never quits. Even when his candy business is booming, the lessons about economics and entrepreneurship that Jabari learns sends him on a new quest. He learns that the underground candy exchange at his school is already unfairly ruled by an organization called the Four Corners. He now wants to rule his school as the king of candy, but realizes that he can't do it alone. He needs others to put a plan in motion to outsmart all of his competition.
Author Biography
Marcus "Mafematics" Johnson was born on a military hospital in Frankfurt Germany. He moved around a lot which caused him to attend several schools across the US and abroad. He is a graduate of Columbia University where he studied mathematics education. He also is a graduate of Langston University where he double majored in mathematics and organizational management. Marcus continued to study math education at Bank Street College where he learned the progressive way of teaching mathematics. Marcus taught in New York City Public School and in private schools for over 10 years. Marcus has taught every grade from preK - 12 and continues to teach at the collegiate level. It was working in these schools where he developed math curriculum, games, and math events to help students understand mathematics in fun and interesting ways. He was nicknamed Mafematics by his students. They would joke that he put the "f" in mathematics which stands for "fun". Marcus is an author of books that mirror the lives of students in New York City. He likes to highlight the various ways that kids show their intelligence in and out of the classroom. Marcus believes in cross curricular learning that includes the arts, sciences, mathematics, reading and business. Through his books, people can learn how to become better at applying critical thinking skills to everyday situations. Marcus is currently a professor of mathematics for the City University of New York. Marcus hopes that readers will see themselves in the problem solvers he writes about. Readers will learn how to apply mathematical concepts to everyday life in a fun way. His books are adventure stories that puts kids on a journey to become heros of their schools and communities. There's always something mysterious happening in his character's environment that sets them out on a journey where they have to become better in order to solve. You can learn more about Marcus "Mafematics" Johnson at www.tangentlearning.com
