By Wendy Greenberg

Margery Cuyler

Addy McBean is a math whiz and a problem solver. She “loves anything and everything to do with numbers, from counting her dog’s tail wags to guessing how many books are scattered by her mom’s bed or how many stars are in the sky,” according to the book jacket of Addy McBean, Numbers Queen.

Addy is one of latest characters created by Princeton author Margery Cuyler, who was inspired to write about a female math whiz after visiting a second-grade classroom and seeing how creatively math is taught today.

Addy McBean, Numbers Queen, released on July 23, is the latest of Cuyler’s books, and the first in a planned chapter book series for ages 7 and 8, published by Aladdin Quix, an imprint in the children’s publishing division at Simon & Schuster, A chapter book, said Cuyler, fills the gap between a picture book and novels for children over the age of 8.

In the tale, Addy is dismayed to be paired with Willard Gluck for a math project, but she learns that one can’t go by first impressions.

“I thought it would be cool to create a female math ace,” said Cuyler. “Her mathematical acumen makes her feel in control, since she likes things to be locked down.” The math concept emphasized in the book is shapes, but she continued, “it is really a story about how you shouldn’t jump to conclusions about people and that there are some things in life that you can’t control.”

Other books in the series will focus on the concepts of time, measurement, and graphs.

As Addy and Willard brainstorm ideas for their class project, “readers are treated to information about 3D shapes and the solar system — and Addy realizes she may have underestimated her new partner,” as noted in a review in Publishers Weekly. “Supportive parents and teachers as well as sympathetic classmates provide a gentle balance to Addy’s high energy. Language detailing numerical concepts peppers the action, and Addy’s relatable experiences will keep readers engaged, whether or not they enjoy math.”

Cuyler, who will be autographing books at the Princeton Public Library’s Children’s Book Festival on October 5, has written 60 published children’s books, including Bonaparte Falls Apart, Skeleton Hiccups, 100th Day Worries, and That’s Good! That’s Bad! She is especially known for her holiday tales and for stories that take place in the classroom.

Some of her books were inspired by growing up in Princeton. She lived in the oldest house in town — The Barracks on Edgehill Street — and with four siblings and, later, four cousins who moved in when their mother died, life was never dull. Cuyler’s imagination was stimulated when they wrote stories, put on plays, and even staged a neighborhood circus. Her father, Lewis B. Cuyler, a banking executive, was interested in history and served as president of the Historical Society of Princeton.

The rumor that Cuyler’s house was haunted inspired another chapter book, The Battlefield Ghost, which was originally published by Scholastic and later reissued with new illustrations by Cuyler’s sister, Juliana McIntyre Fenn, a renowned local artist.

After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College, Cuyler worked in the publishing industry, first as an assistant editor at Atlantic Monthly Press in Boston, which published books in partnership with Little, Brown. As her career progressed, she eventually held executive positions at Henry Holt/Macmillan, Amazon, Golden Books Family Entertainment, and Holiday House. She started writing for children after reading to a group of youngsters as part of a college class.

“I can easily get in touch with my 5-year-old self,” she said. “It’s very helpful if you know how old you are inside.”

She works with different illustrators, and had worked previously with Addy McBean illustrator Stacy Curtis, of whom she said, “He really nailed Addy’s character.”

The children’s book market, she noted, “has been transformed by the internet. With federal and state money shrinking for libraries and with bookstores having closed during the pandemic, social media has become an important tool for selling books. The way books are marketed has increasingly shifted to the author who posts book news on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms and electronically connects to children’s book enthusiasts and advocates all over the world.”

But Cuyler maintains that the children’s market has held up well in the publishing industry, despite these challenges.

Being an author for children takes a special skill. “It’s important as a picture-book and chapter-book writer to be a visual thinker,” she said. “To write in a way that the artist will get excited. That’s a key component for writing a story for younger kids.

“It’s a privilege to write for young readers,” she added, “because a good children’s book helps build the interiority of a child. A strong story nourishes a child’s soul.”

Addy McBean, Numbers Queen is available at local booksellers and on amazon.com.