Last to Finish, A Story About the Smartest Boy in Math Class: A Positive Math Story and Growth Mindset Book for Kids with Math Anxiety (The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses) Hardcover – Picture Book, May 1, 2018

After reading Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have The Wiggle Fidgets, my son wanted to read all the books in the Adventures of Everyday Geniuses series. This was the next one we bought. He couldn't wait to get his hands on my Kindle and devoured it immediately. Then he read it again! This story has a great lesson: Learning math is important, but not everybody learns and understands in the same way. My boy is very good at math, but he still found this book reassuring, because it's told from the kid's point of view and is very accepting and sympathetic. Every kid (and adult) has faced the frustration of blanking out under pressure; "Last to Finish" helps kids understand that there are many different types of intelligence, and they don't all shine during timed tests. Highly recommended, even for kids who excel academically. (They may be the ones under the most pressure of all....)

As a child therapist, who also has a spirited and quirky little guy at home, and who has more than a few quirks of her own, I highly recommend this series! It puts narrative therapy practices to work using great stories that help the reader recognize that while neurological differences such as learning disorders, ADHD, and Asperger's Syndrome can create obstacles in daily life, they also infuse the child with wonderfully unique strengths and gifts they wouldn't otherwise have.In line with strength-based treatment, the characters model creative problem-solving within a support system that draws on the child's unique strengths and personal perspective on the situation. In my experience, the most delightful part of treatment is that moment when a kid can see his difficulties as something tangible, external, and surmountable, and not an indication that they are " bad" or "defective." These books capture the powerful recognition that the child isn't the "problem," but the problem-solver! I'll be watching for more from this wonderful author!

This book is great for any age. Beginning of school read.

Perfect story. Wish I had this YEARS ago for my now 29 yr old son who was going thru grade school.I always said," it isn't the first to finish that wins". He found that out when one of his class mates rushed to turn in their testand they had not done one side of a test. Got it marked all wrong. He hated the ticking timers so got a quiet one for each teacher.Just the word "test" made the anxiety leave go way up.

This book depicts the true story of being gifted and struggling with timed tests in Arithmetic. It is nice to be understood and that just is worth to have bought the book. I hope this book helps to make people understand the special needs of gifted population that has Arithmetic difficulties and disability. This so important to prevent the pain, the anxiety and frustration that leads to underachieving and underperformance through phobia. In my case, I hate to be tested at all even in areas not related to Math, so I take courses but do not get any diploma because I do not take any test. In the book, it is a happy ending because there is a gifted friendly Mr. Singleton, who discovers Max' talent for superior Math despite Arithmetic difficulties. When not, or even worse, when the teacher hates smart Kids is a complete different story I can tell myself. I do not grant 5 starts because the book does not give a plausible explanation for the timed test problem.

My 9-yr-old son with Dyspraxia perfectly related to 'Max' in this book and to the buzzer situation. When we first read the book together, he jumped up with a huge smile on his face, exclaiming "HE IS JUST LIKE ME!!"Thanks for writing a book series about kids who are geniuses in their own worlds, but struggle to fit into the typical mold... what a difference it made to my son! :)

I would recommend this book for gifted students. It is on a lower side of the reading spectrum, but the story will resonate with your gifted kid!

This is an excellent book for children who "freeze" when timed. Just because they can't do things quickly, doesn't mean they aren't smart.This book is perfect for the current beliefs in education: if you can't do it quickly, you don't know it. This book gives a child a boost of self esteem!

The book is excellent and I wanted more copies but the distributor never ended up fulfilling the order.