What a great book! Written by a public school teacher filled with warmth, enthusiasm and wonder, this is about the best introduction to geometry one could imagine.

Diggins begins with nature marveling at the geometric forms to be found around us. She then goes on to some (rather speculative) ideas about how stone age people discovered geometry. Then she gets to the cultures covered in the 5th grade Ancient Mythology block, finally ending with Pythagoras.

Though Diggins is a materialist and one’s child will not a get a sense for the sacred as revealed through geometry, her awe for her subject is such that, if you choose, you can certainly frame her work with a less materialistic bent. Diggins writes as though she is having a conversation with her reader which makes this a perfect book for homeschoolers.

String Straight-edge, & Shadow is a required part of our 5th grade geometry (in our 5th Grade Syllabus). We use her book as the scaffolding and build upon it, giving guidance for hands-on activities, drawing, and various projects. Thus if you are going to use our syllabus, you must use this book.