The Math Monster © By: J Hazen Buss
“Please take your seats, class,” Ms. Hunter said.
Danielle sat down as the bell rang.
“Please get out your math homework and pass it to the front of the class.”
Danielle removed her math folder from her backpack and opened it... Oh, no! It can’t be! Where
had it gone? NO MATH HOMEWORK!
Danielle panicked. This was the third time this week that her homework was missing.
She knew that if she didn’t turn in her math homework again, she was going to be in big trouble!
“Ms. Hunter?” she said quietly as she raised her hand.
“Yes, Danielle?”
“Ma’am, it seems that I have lost my homework again. I promise that I
put it in my folder last night.”
“Danielle,” Ms. Hunter said firmly, “If you do not turn in tomorrows
math homework, I will have to give you a zero for the week. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Kristi Snotgrass, the meanest girl in the fourth grade leaned over in her chair. “Good going,
Danielle! Did your dog eat your homework? Or maybe the ‘Math Monster’ took it! Since you’re so
bad at math, maybe the Math Monster could help you do it, too!”
Danielle sat there quietly as she glared at Kristi. “I WILL find my homework,” she thought to herself.
When Danielle got home after school, she headed to her room. “Maybe the ‘Math Monster’
took it!” she said mimicking mean girl, Kristi as she sat down at her desk and began her
homework. “I wish there was a Math Monster! Maybe I could get him to do my homework and
maybe he wouldn’t lose it everyday!” she said as she scribbled her answers down. “Maybe he
could take the test for me tomorrow!” she yelled as she finished her last problem. Danielle frowned
as she laid her head on her desk. “The Math Monster…I need a Math Monster…” Danielle
mumbled as she fell fast asleep.
The next morning, Danielle lifted her head from her desk. “Oh, no! I’m late for school!” she said
as she jumped up from her chair. She quickly got dressed, and ran to her desk to grab her math
homework. IT WAS GONE!
“No!” she screamed as she began to look for her homework frantically. As she flung open
the desk drawer, she stopped cold…She couldn’t believe her eyes! Her math homework! All of her
work was piled neatly in the desk drawer with a strange pencil lying on top of the papers. She
looked at the pencil closely. It was some type of character pencil. Funny, she had never seen it
before. It was dressed like a scientist with a lab coat, wearing brown pants and a red tie with
numbers on it. His face was cute with big, black rimmed glasses and a sweet smile with braces on
his tiny teeth. She looked at her homework. The papers were graded! Who had done this and why?
“Ugh! I don’t have time for this. I’ll figure this out when I get home. I’m late!” she said as she
grabbed the pencil and her math.
“Ouch!” the pencil said.
Danielle stopped instantly. “Umm…did you just say something?”
“Yes, I did. Hello. My name is Matthew, the Math Monster. It’s a pleasure to meet you,
Danielle.” His voice was high and he spoke quickly.
Danielle sat there in shock as she stared at her strange guest. “How do you know my
name?”
“Your name is on the papers that I’ve been grading,” he said as he stood up.
Danielle couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “So, a pencil has been taking my
homework and doing it for me?” she said sarcastically.
“Well, actually I am ‘The Math Monster’. I prefer that more than ‘The Math Pencil’. It makes
me sound tough.”
Danielle giggled. “I see. So there really is a Math Monster. Ok, Math ‘Monster’, why have you
been doing my homework and not giving it back?”
The monster adjusted his glasses. “I love math. I noticed that you had done the work and I
wanted to look it over. That’s what I do. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you needed them back.”
Danielle frowned. “I got in trouble because I didn’t turn in my homework! It doesn’t matter. I
am awful at math and would’ve gotten a bad grade anyway. I have this math test today and I know
I’m going to fail.”
“You’re not awful at math, Danielle. I’ve seen your work. You need to believe in yourself. I
believe in you.”
Danielle smiled. “Thank you. But sadly, I am bad at it. I don’t understand it.”
“Yes you do. What you need is some confidence!” Matthew said. “Math is easy once you
understand how to do it. Would you like it if I went to school with you today and we can review the
test material on the way?”
“That would be terrific, thank you! Matthew, can I use you during the test? I know I will get a
good grade if I have you with me.”
“Sure, but you don’t need me Danielle. You have all the answers right here,” he said as he
pointed to his pointy head.
“Thanks for believing in me. You are a good friend, Matthew.”
“You are very welcome. You can do it! Let’s go ace that test!” the little pencil said.
Danielle walked into the classroom as the bell rang.
“Please take out your homework from last night and a pencil,” Ms. Hunter said with a smile.
Danielle took out her homework and placed Matthew on top of the papers and smiled at her new
friend as she raised her hand. “Ms. Hunter, I found all of my homework.”
“Excellent. Please bring me your homework so I can give you credit for the week.”
Danielle scooped up the papers and walked to Ms. Hunter’s desk. As she passed by mean girl
Kristi, Danielle stuck out her tongue. Kristi growled as she watched Danielle pass her and looked
over at her desk.
“What a cute pencil…” Kristi said as she took Matthew from the desk. “Too cute for her!”
Thank you for reading a preview of The Math Monster by Jennifer Hazen Buss. If you would like to purchase the full version of The Math Monster and the other books in the Monster Series for your Kindle/Kindle Fire, please visit Amazon.com.