Life of Fred

What it is

A series of math books by Stanley F. Schmidt told as a continuing story about Fred Gauss, a young math professor, where math comes up as part of his adventures. The elementary series is ten books meant to be read in alphabetical order (Apples through Jelly Beans), and later books run through pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. A child typically reads a short chapter and then answers the questions that follow it.

Written by the Homebuilt team from the publisher’s own materials, checked September 2026. Prices and editions change, so confirm with the publisher. Learn more: Life of Fred elementary series (publisher) · The Fred Method (publisher) · Getting Ready for High School Math: Pre-Algebra 0, 1, 2 (publisher) · University math, including Calculus (publisher)