Cindy Neuschwander (1953-) - Sidelights

An elementary school teacher by profession, Cindy Neuschwander has penned several educational children's books that take an unusual approach to an often intimidating subject. Titled to attract even the most math-averse student, Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone: A Math Adventure and Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure revisit the classic tale of King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone while creating scenarios with a strong math angle. In the pun-laden Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone, for example, Radius, the son of Sir Cumfrence and his wife, the Lady Di of Ameter, joins his youthful friend Vertex in a quest for Edgecalibur in order to win the favor of the king. Featuring humorous, brightly colored illustrations by Wayne Geehan, "the books can be used to support educational initiatives such as multiple intelligences, and students who are strong in verbal/linguistic areas will appreciate the integration of literature into their math lesson" stated Christine E. Carr in School Library Journal.

Neuschwander once told Something about the Author: "I am a native Californian. I was born in San Diego, but have lived in many places, including Germany, England, Austria, Switzerland, Hawaii, and the East Coast. I received a B.A. in international studies from Willamette University and an M.A. in education from Stanford University. I have been teaching since 1976, both at the high school and elementary school levels.

"I currently teach third grade in Dublin, California, where I'm a mathematics education specialist. I also enjoy reading children's literature. An interest in both of these areas led me to write children's stories with mathematics-based themes.

"In 1992, while living in England, I began working on my first book, Sir Cumference and the First Round Table. Prior to submitting it for publication, I took a writing class through the University of California at Berkeley. Since then I have had several other books published, including Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream and Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi.

"In my spare time, I enjoy activities with my family. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for more than twenty-five years. We have two sons: Tim, a medical doctor, and Seth, a college student and part-time firefighter.

"My family and I also enjoy traveling. The entire family has spent time on five of the earth's seven continents. Only Australia and Antarctica remain unvisited. We love to ski in the winter and body surf and backpack in the summer. We are active in our local church and are a committed Christian family."