Bookstore hosts math-themed kids’ ‘escape room’ with local author

October 26, 2023  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

Bridgeside Books will team up with Waterbury author Aaron Starmer to host a math-themed kids’ escape-room event on Saturday, Nov. 4. 

Math Mysteries: The Triplet Threat' by Aaron Starmer cover. Courtesy photo

From 1 to 4 p.m. the scavenger hunt will play out based on Starmer’s newest middle-grade novel, “Math Mysteries: The Triplet Threat,” in which three fourth graders team up to solve a mystery at their school using math clues. 

Geared to middle school students, ages 8-11, the event will involve clues, riddles, and a hunt through the bookshop to collect special letter titles that spell out a secret password. Successful detectives can trade in the tiles for a signed copy of the “Math Mystery” book. 

The story? Bridgeside bookseller Jenna Danyew sums it up: “It's the first day of the fourth grade at Arthimos Elementary and things are already off to a strange start – poisonous cookies, a zipline disaster, a missing iPad, and what are those strange sounds coming from the school custodian's wheelbarrow? Luckily the Prime Detectives – Abby “the Abacus” Feldstein, Cameron “Cam” McGill, and Gabriel “Gabe” Kim – are on the case! Using arithmetic, geometry, and logic, the Prime Detectives are sure to figure out who did what, when, and why!” 

Danyew calls the story “a page-turning mystery brimming with lighthearted intrigue and essential middle-grade math skills” likely to appeal to kids who enjoy math, as well as puzzles, riddles, brainteasers, and adventure stories.

The book is the third in a mystery series in which the story plots are linked and the mysteries are solved using math. The books include the solutions. 

Starmer’s other books for young readers include the “Locker 37” series and “The Riverman” trilogy. 

Adult participation is required at the Nov. 4 event and a $10 admission fee per family includes the activity and the signed book. Register in advance at BridgesideBooks.com.