Set in the palace of a powerful Chinese warlord, Chuan's father is entrusted with counting the warlord's treasures. Father becomes increasingly worried when he is unable to accurately count the valuable objects and exotic spices. As accusations of thievery arise, Father realizes the need for a different counting method. Using jade beads, Chuan devises a rudimentary abacus that provides an efficient and accurate account. A historical note that traces the invention of the abacus and instructions for creating an abacus are included. A study guide is available at www.pelicanpub.com/SGuides/Beads_guide.pdf. In addition to mathematics, there are suggested activities to support other subject areas.--Ministry of Education website.

Mathematics grade 3 (2009).