An avid viewer of Wonder Years, I was always annoyed with how Winnie was always annoyed and fighting with Kevin. And how obsessed he was with her. Really? Was she really that amazing??

Well, I don’t know if Winnie was, but the actress who played her, Danica McKellar, sure is. Instead of going the route of Tara Ried (who apparently is the same age) Danica majored in math at UCLA, co-authored a paper with another student and professor to prove a new mathematical principle they named the “Chayes-McKellar-Winn Theorem,” and went on to graduate summa cum laude in 1998. She continues to act appearing in shows that I don’t watch like How I Met Your Mother and The West Wing, but she’s filling up her bookshelves at home with more of her books as also the author of a couple of math books written for teen girls.

It makes perfect sense, she says, as math starts to get kind of hard around junior high, at the same time life itself starts to get kind of hard. So why not try to make math a little more accessible? And also show teen girls that really they can be smart and pretty. Her first book came out in 2007 and was called Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail and her new one that just came out is cutely titled Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who’s Boss.

The website for the first book includes a quiz called “Do you hide your smarts? (Especially around guys)” and, well, I just couldn’t resist it. At least it’s better than those horrid “Is he into you??” quizzes that are inevitably in every teen mag out there.

Well, it turns out:
You clearly have a strong sense of self, and have worked hard for your success. You probably also have a strong sense of justice, and might even see yourself as a leader among your peers. All good things. However — nobody likes to be told what to do, and nobody likes a tattletale or a show-off. They say the only people we should “show off” to are our parents. And you’ve probably heard the old adage, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Well, that’s not bad advice.

Hmm…I have a feeling I could have used this advice when I was 14.

Got an itching to get your Pre-Algebra on? Danica will have some forthcoming book signings here:

Huntington Beach, CA
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Time: 7:00pm
Barnes & Noble
7881 Edinger Ave #110
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Northridge, CA
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Time: 7:00pm
Borders Books & Music
9301 Tampa Avenue
Northridge, California 91324

Watch Al Roker miss the whole point while interviewing Danica and how yes, she’s the same age as Tara Reid (both via Jezebel).

Hot teacher image via Esquire.

Nicole

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