Xeufei YangMar 11, 2025
Bronwyn Harris

Today I worked with a third grader on multiplication. I told him that zero was an easy one to remember because it made all other numbers turn to zero. 4 x 0? Zero. A million times zero? Zero. I said, "Zero is a bully that way."

He said, "But in addition, zero never gets anywhere. It doesn't change a number at all. I think that's how it became evil; the wretched origin of zero." (yes, he really said that)

I said, "That sounds like a great story to write.

His eyes LIT UP and he said, "Please can I write that story?" When I agreed, he said "THIS is why I LOVE going to Bronwyn!"

The story is barely started but includes the lines:

“Zilch had a wretched soul because nobody wants to be zilch”

(That was because it doesn’t change the number in addition)

"But one day he discovered ’times’ and what it can do” (change all the other numbers to zero)

And then zilch laughs an evil laugh.

Mar 4, 2025 at 4:12amWeb
Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 4, 2025

This child has a variety of learning disabilities and also is just whip-smart (to use my grandmother's phrase) so gets really frustrated with himself.

But I think my honest reaction at his cleverness helped him some today.

Show threadM.S. Bellows, Jr.Mar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn Dead serious: help him turn that into a children's book, and get it published. It's a beautiful, brilliant way to help kids realize the concept that numbers actually have personalities, that they stand for things other than just symbols on a page. It took me until college calculus to realize that!
Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 4, 2025

@msbellows If I had any connections or knowledge on how to do that, I totally would.

It's such a good idea.

Show threadM.S. Bellows, Jr.Mar 4, 2025
Any children's book publishers, editors, or writers on here? If so, I'd be grateful if you'd read upthread and let us know if you can be any help. Thanks!
@Bronwyn
Show threadJemaleddin ColeMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn when Zilch finds out about division tho…
Show threadIrene (she/they, Sir/Mr.)Mar 15, 2025
@Bronwyn
Can confirm. He is clever, and your reaction helped him. 🫶✨🕊️
Show threadMaria ShanleMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn this is amazing on multiple levels!
Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 4, 2025
@mariashanle I was DELIGHTED and I think he could tell
Show threadMaria ShanleMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn 🤩
Show threadMirishuliMar 5, 2025
@Bronwyn @mariashanle Tell him about posting it and how delighted we all are too! His story is absolutely brilliant!
Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 5, 2025
@MiriShuli @mariashanle I definitely will!
Show threadWilling to cut a deal. . .Mar 4, 2025

@Bronwyn

I was reminded of this.

https://youtu.be/EpTd3ErPNpI?si=7Kd767w3z-1GKYkE

Zero by himself... nada.

Zero as a sidekick.... has force of ten... or nothing...

The Power Of Nothing

YouTube
Show threadEric ShapiroMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn Zero My Hero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eh8Ml-ruO0
Zero My Hero Schoolhouse Rock

YouTube
Show threadGuy on the runMar 4, 2025

@EricShapiro @Bronwyn

The joy of discovery. I wish I could have seen his eyes.

I was just thinking that it was time for an upgrade to Zero my Hero anyway.

Show threadShaula WalkoMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn
I love this! 🥰
Show threadMegatronicThronBanksMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn Just checking to see if anyone had mentioned the Count from Sesame St ...
Show threadfsniperMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn And if Zilch leaves it's ways of evel and instead start standing by others and help them they both will increase in value by a lot, by orders of magnitude! (10,20..)
Show threadDanieleMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn wait until he finds about dividing by zero, the unforgivable curse
Show threadsolutionistzeroMar 4, 2025
@danielezomg @Bronwyn
I was gonna say, but division?, lol. But then 🤔 remembered my user name 🤦‍♂️
Show threadjerMar 4, 2025
@danielezomg @Bronwyn
True evil, until he discovers that anything to his power is reduced to unity!
Show threadFranchescaMar 4, 2025
@danielezomg @Bronwyn zero discovered that it could also break computers….
Show threadJoshua BarrettoMar 4, 2025

@Bronwyn *David Attenborough voice*

And here we see the lesser-spotted Haskell developer discovering monoids for the first time

Show threadmatt wilkieMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn i highly recommend The Number Devil generally, and for this bright spark you have particularly!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Number_Devil
The Number Devil - Wikipedia

Show threadColinMar 4, 2025

@Bronwyn I spent way too long trying to figure out which school Bronwyn was until I realized it was you xD

Amazing lil story

Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 4, 2025
@colinstu 😂
Show threadSiobhan Masked🇺🇦🦠😷🇬🇱Mar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn You are a treasure! Love this!
Show threadAnn McNicholMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn I’m working with fourth graders on math in my retirement. so much fun to observe how their minds process information!
Show threadLisaHMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn What a wonderful thing that he has you to reveal the connection between science and art! 👏👏👏
Show threadQueen of AnxietyMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn This is why I don’t laugh at all the alternate ways to teach math people like to dunk on. Different things work for different people, and learning is fun and can engage your creativity if you let it.
Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 4, 2025
@queenofnewyork 100%
Show threadwatmildonMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn delightful! They may enjoy this book as a study in Zero Based Fiction 😉
Show threadBarbara MonacoMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn Brilliant story. 🌞
Show threadIsocatMar 4, 2025

@Bronwyn Oooowow.

When I was a third-grader, anything I said or did even remotely hinting at the start of a conversation like that was stomped out with parent-teacher conferences about my failure to stay on task, bogus diagnoses, spurious medication, and otherwise like that.

Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 4, 2025
@isocat Maybe my greatest strength in teaching is that I'm *actually* interested in kids' thoughts (because they are interesting!!) and they can tell.
Show threadKevin R JonesMar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn @sundogplanets just wait until that students learns that the number 0 wasn't really recognized until around 600 700 CE in the west, or that Pythagoras supposedly killed one of his students over 0.
Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 4, 2025
@kevinrj @sundogplanets I didn't know that second part!
Show threadCyclesBecauseSummerIsComing😀Mar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn @ionica ken jij iemand hiervoor? (Zie verhaal in de draad)
Show threadCyclesBecauseSummerIsComing😀Mar 4, 2025
@Bronwyn https://www.scbwi.org/ seems to be a possible resource?
The Global Community for Children’s Book Creators

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators provides the resources, professional networking, and community-building opportunities that support writers, illustrators, and translators throughout their careers.

SCBWI
Show threadTobyBartelsMar 5, 2025

@Bronwyn

If your student is willing, I'm sure that we'd all love to read the story when it's finished. I know that I would!

Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 5, 2025
@TobyBartels I will definitely share if he lets me!!
Show threadCheerios de BergeracMar 5, 2025
@Bronwyn Wait until Zilch finds out about division
Show threadColin BeveridgeMar 5, 2025
@Bronwyn Love it! My brain went straight to "how the Zilch stole PEMDAS".
Show threadBronwyn HarrisMar 5, 2025

@icecolbeveridge amazing.

Side note: it is SO FUN to explain math concepts early when kids are ready... I pointed out to a third grader that if they can do:

15 + ___ = 22

(common in third grade)

Then they can do 15 + n = 22

and that is ALGEBRA

And the kid went home yelling "I KNOW ALGEBRA"

Show threadAxel HartmannMar 5, 2025

@Bronwyn - and maybe "Zero" aka Zilch felt left out because he/she/it was late to the game - most other numbers were there long before!

See: "The nothing that is: A Natural History of Zero", by Robert Kaplan, from 1999, ISBN 0-19-514237-3 / 9780195142372

Show threadKim Possible Mar 5, 2025
@Bronwyn this is so joyful and uplifting. I immediately sent this to my school teacher cousin.
Show threadKaren CampeMar 6, 2025
@Bronwyn LOVE this!
I agree with other suggestions... to try to get it made into a book. As an interim step, have him write and illustrate it. Then you can share online (see link below)
Show threadHugs4friends ♾🇺🇦 🇵🇸😷Mar 6, 2025
@Bronwyn 😼