Are you looking for the best geometry books for elementary students? I love using picture books in math to introduce a topic, or during math centers to reinforce real-life math applications. Below I am highlighting my top 12 geometry books for elementary students that you can use in your classroom. All book links are Amazon Affiliate links (I get a tiny commission if you purchase a book from the link, which goes toward this blog’s site maintenance), but you can find the same books at your local bookstore!
1. Euclid: The Man Who Invented Geometry
Euclid lived 2300 years ago in Alexandria, in northern Egypt. He was a brilliant mind that create a method of learning geometry from the simplest idea. This book brings geometry to life with Euclid explaining the principles of geometry to his friends. This is a great geometry book for elementary students because it is full of fun, explanation, and even jokes!
2. Shape Up! Fun with Triangles and Other Polygons
This is a fun book to introduce and teach your students about basic geometry concepts such as triangles, polygons, and angles. What makes this book so engaging is the hands-on and interactive activities. I know that some teachers don’t care too much for using food in their lessons, and if this sounds like you, don’t worry! This is one of my favorite geometry books for elementary students because many of the best interactive activities in this book use just a simple piece of paper.
3. Mummy Math: An Adventure in Geometry
In this book, two children and their dog end up trapped in a pyramid while they’re visiting the site with their Egyptologist parents. They need to decipher the cryptic codes that are on the wall drawings to find the Pharoah’s tomb and exit. The codes are shown with geometric solids. The story introduces these solids in a fun and interesting way.
4. Zachary Zormer Shape Transformer
Your students will love this book as they learn about geometry. School Library Journal says, “youngsters will find Zachary’s quick thinking and solid explanations both entertaining and educational,” and they’re right! Your class will be highly entertained by Zachary, a boy who always forgets to bring in items for his math show and tell. Luckily, Zachary is also a quick-thinker and comes up with everyday items he uses to express common geometry concepts. This is one of my favorite geometry books for elementary students because it serves as a great teaching tool by offering readers great explanations and commentary about all things geometry!
5. The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
This book is a biography for the Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthenes, who compiled the first geography book and accurately measured the globe’s circumference. This book is full of details about Eratosthenes’ world.
6. Grandfather Tang’s Story: A Tale Told with Tangrams
Tangrams can be an effective hands-on method to teach basic geometry concepts. Not only does this book introduce the use of tangrams, it also offers readers a story about a girl and her grandfather. While they’re sitting under a tree, the girl and her grandfather share a folktale about two shape-shifting fox fairies.
7. Triangles
This book will excite your students with its bold and bright illustrations that feature an added bonus – a search and find aspect! The bold-print of important words and the use of a clock to explain angles make this text an effective tool for any geometry instruction. This book also features ample repetition, a useful strategy for addressing the many learning styles of students. Triangles is a clearly written text with a quick pace that asks readers questions to prompt a deeper understanding of geometry concepts.
8. If You Were a Quadrilateral
What could you do if you were a quadrilateral? You could have four straight sides. You could be a checkerboard, a kite, or a yoga mat. What else could you be if you were a quadrilateral? This is one of my favorite geometry books for elementary students because it includes creative examples, easy-to-understand text, and engaging art.
9. If You Were a Polygon
This book lacks a real story or plot, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that your students won’t adore this geometry-rich book. Through bright illustrations and concise text, this book presents a ton of information about polygons. Beginning with the basic definition of polygons, If You Were a Polygon proceeds to explore various shapes of polygons, the meaning of an irregular polygon, and the parts of a polygon. The short quiz at the end offers a nice interactive factor and there is even a glossary of terms and suggestions for other books and websites on polygons. This is one of my favorite geometry books for elementary students because it covers everything students need to learn about polygons.
10. Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes
This book is an amazing tool for introducing 3-D shapes to your class. Your students will absolutely love joining Captain Invincible and his space-dog, Comet, as they journey through space in their Hawk spaceship. Featuring bold and brightly colored illustrations, readers are easily drawn into this exciting shape-filled story. If you’re looking for an out of this world way to help students recognize and define geometric shapes, look no further than Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes!
11. What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?
This book will introduce students to the Pythagorean Theorem alongside young Pythagoras in a STEM adventure. Students will go through Pythagoras’ journey from Samos to Alexandria, where he meets a builder that introduces him to the right angle. While building, Pythagoras uses geometry to learn how to measure angles and discover all he needs to know about right triangles. This is another of my favorite geometry books for elementary students because it has playful puns and wordplay creating a perfect STEM activity for introducing young readers to a fundamental math equation.
12. Seeing Symmetry
This book takes a straightforward approach to teaching symmetry concepts by helping readers see that symmetry is all around them! Students will love the beautiful illustrations showing symmetry in nature, man-made items, art, design, decoration, and architecture. Your class will be looking for examples of symmetry in your classroom before you even finish reading! Another wonderful aspect of this text is the celebration of diversity seen in the various culture’s art that’s examined in terms of symmetry. Teaching symmetry can sometimes be challenging for young learners but Leedy makes the concept approachable and easy to understand with Seeing Symmetry.
Need some resources for teaching geometry to your students? Click here to find everything I’ve got for you!
Looking for more teaching tips on geometry? Check out the blog posts I’ve linked below!