The Undercover Mathematician

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.


Born in 18th century France, Sophie Germain was not allowed to learn Maths, because she was a girl. Sophie went undercover to learn Maths in secret, using a boy's name as a code name. There was just one problem. Sophie was so good at Maths, people wanted to meet her. Would her cover be blown?


Lime Plus/Band 11+ books provide challenging plots and vocabulary as well as opportunities to practise inference, prediction and reading stamina.


Pages 46 and 47 allow children to re-visit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development and recall.


Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.


Rachael Davis is a mixed-raced children's author, represented by literary agent Alice Williams. She studied Mathematics at the University of Oxford, where she extensively researched the life and works of Sophie Germain. A few years later, she did a masters in English Literature at the University of Surrey and became a full-time writer. Sophie Germain is a true inspiration to Rachael and it is Rachael's hope that the story of this tenacious undercover mathematician will continue to inspire generations to come.