Math-Literature Connection: A Quarter from the Tooth Fairy

In this book, Caren Holtzman [Hello Math Reader, Level 3] recounts in verse how a young boy spends the quarter he got from the Tooth Fairy for his tooth.   He first buys a monster for his quarter but then decides it wasn't quite right and returns it, getting 2 dimes and 1 nickel back.   Each time he buys and returns an item, he gets his 25 cents back in a different combination of coins, making this book an excellent introduction to the problem of how many different ways students can make 25 cents. 

Challenge: What other ways could the character have gotten his 25 cents in change?

• Try to find all of the different ways.
• How did you organize your answer to be sure you had found all of the ways? 
• Download the How Many Different Ways Can You Make 25 Cents? student worksheet and answer key.

Writing Extension:  Each student writes additional pages for the story that describe what the character buys and what combination of coins he gets back when he ultimately returns the item.