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Who is the Mysterious I. D. Vide? A witch? A sorceress? An alien?  Theo wasn’t sure.  He was only certain that she lived in a creepy house next to a small puppy named Newton, and he overheard her talking about a spell.  Join Theo and his friends as they try to solve the math mystery that I. D. Vide crafts for the trio.  Can you help them save little Newton?

The Mysterious I. D. Vide in Newton’s Nemesis is a math mystery comic book series designed for children struggling to learn fractions.  Written by Dr. Cindy S. Ticknor, a professor of math education, the story weaves together puzzles that explain why fraction multiplication and division works with inspirational moments to reassure children that struggling means they are learning. If you’re not struggling, your brain is bored!

Unlock why the mystery of fraction multiplication and division with Theo and help your child build the confidence to tackle any math problem!

The Story

Theo started his first job -- watching a puppy named Newton. The only problem: Newton lived next to a strange woman in a creepy house at the end of the street.

What did he hear? She had a spell?

She needed a doggie bone?!?

Who was that woman named Ms. I. D. Vide?

Theo's precocious little sister might be a pest, but her 2nd grade division homework might just hold the answer to why you flip and multiply!

The Art

I'm working with a talented young artist at Columbus State University, Mr. Nathan Long, who is now working on Newton's Nemesis, No. 2.  

Please eat my homework, Newton!

The Math

Newton's Nemesis is aligned to 5th Grade Common Core Standards for Mathematics, focusing primarily on understanding dividing with fractions. But since I love geometry, I had to include a few fun activities using quadrilaterals and the coordinate plane!

Watch a video preview

It's a two minute introduction to Newton's Nemesis!

When I was a child, I would search for hidden objects in my doctor's office copy of Highlights, and loved my mother's magazine, Dell's Puzzles & Word Games.  Now I get to make puzzles and games for kids!

More Activities

The story is only the first step to learning how to divide by fractions.

As the artwork is created, I am developing supplements such as worksheets, games and puzzles that reinforce the concepts in Newton's Nemesis.