20th November 2025

Maths Tales 2025 Winners

Happy Book Week Scotland! Earlier this year, our popular 'Maths Tales' story writing competition in partnership with Read Write Count with The First Minister returned. Young authors in classes P2–7 (First and Second Level) were challenged to create a tale incorporating some maths elements (a shape and a number) and our Maths Week Scotland mascot, Finn Finity.

We were delighted that the competition received such an overwhelming response, with almost 1,500 entries being submitted from across Scotland! With so many brilliant stories to choose from, judging them all was no easy task, but the panel eventually narrowed it down to 21 finalists, from which they selected winners and runners up in the following categories:

First Level: Freestyle Entries

Winner: Aurelia, P4, Hamilton College

"This is my story" by Aurelia, P4, from Hamilton College

Part 2

Covered with chocolate on one side. He opened the bright blue wrapper with a picture of sunglasses on the front in front of a two-tone sun. The rays of the sun gently touching the sunglasses. He stared at the wrapper reading carefully the words, “Holiday Sun-cream”. Strange. There was no sun-cream inside. It was an ice cream. Some companies were silly about naming their product. Peeling slowly back the wrapper. The head of the ice cream popping out. Delicious! Raising the ice cream upwards towards his mouth. A sharp intake of breath because it was cold then a short, sharp crunch as he bit through it. He closed the freezer with a gentle thud. He turned around slowly and walked back to the drawing board.

He still had the wrapper in his hand. He finished the ice cream. He wanted another one but knew he should not have another. He sighed. Then he flattened out the wrapper and looked at it again. He turned it around and around looking for… something. He stared. The sunglasses looked like … a number 8 or the sign for infinity.

He drew a number 8 on its side. Glasses. Number 8. But he had to make it a character. He drew an arm, then another arm. He rubbed them out and made them wavy and long and thin. He did the same for legs. Between the eyes he drew a cheeky but friendly smile. He gave me eyes. My imaginer shivered. He was cold after the ice cream. He got up. Closed the window. He looked at the clouds and saw something that looked like a hand and a foot. A hand in a glove and a foot in a boot! He saw his daughter’s “Find Wally, Where’s Wally” seek and find book. He always found this harder than his daughter. He had an idea.

The man was getting excited and his pencil started drawing fast adding hands and feet. He drew lines for clothing on the legs and arms. He thought hard about what his daughter’s favourite colours were. He grabbed the coloured pencils and coloured in the lines one yellow and the next pink. Yellow then pink, yellow then pink.

Finished.

This is my story. Who am I?

I am Finn Finity.

Runner-Up:

Mason, P2, Maisondieu Primary School

Finalists:

Ciara, P3, St Nicholas’ Primary School
Margot, P4, Dalmeny Primary School
Ivy, P4, Carnock Primary School

First Level: Comics

Winner: Jennifer, P3, Quarter Primary School

Wild Maths Rainforest Rescue, by Jennifer, P3, from Quarter Primary School

Comic Strip

Picture 1: A butterfly. "Wow! Beautiful butterflies fluttering."

Picture 2: A number two. "I see a giant number2."

Picture 3: A circle. "A blue circle jumps out."

Picture 4: Finn Finity amongst some water. "Splash. Finn Finity jumps out of a river."

Picture 5: Two trees. "Number 2 makes me count. We plant 2 new trees."

Picture 6: A circle holding a shovel. "Circle digs the ground to help."

Picture 7: Two trees. "Wild maths rain forest is growing."

Picture 8: One tree plus some animals. "All the animals are happy. Yeah."

Runner-Up:

Izzaa, P4, St Nicholas’ Primary School:

Finalist:

Max, P2, Baljaffray Primary School

Second Level: Freestyle Entries

Winner: Elora, P6, Bruntsfield Primary School

"An Average Adventure" by Elora, P6, from Bruntsfield Primary School

Part 1

"3...2...1...blast off!" shouted Finn Finity as his space ship took off into space. He was off to the Number Planet. Finn landed on the planet's crumbly surface which had lots of craters. He jumped out of the spaceship and was welcomed by friendly numbers who inhabit the planet.

"An Average Adventure" by Elora, P6, from Bruntsfield Primary School

Part 2

ZERO said to Finn "Bonjour zee zhosen one, we zeed zour zhelp zo decide who shall zrule our planet and wear zee Golden STAR Crown. Zee 3 M Bros - Median, Mean and Mode are fighting over it." Finn thought - Mode was the most popular, Median was the middle one and Mean could be a bit tricky. He called a meeting with the 3 Ms. "You're all averages. Why don't you split the role in to three. You can all rule the planet for a third of the year, and wear the Golden STAR Crown for that time." "Fintastic idea Finn!" said Median. "You're welcome dear Numbers, and goodbye!" said Finn. "I'm off to the Universe and beyond!"

Runners-Up:

Hannah, P5, Wallace Hall Primary School
Harrison, P5, Carnock Primary School

Finalists:

Oliver, P5, Guildtown Primary School
Jenny, P6, Twynholm Primary School
Poppy, P6, Strath of Appin Primary School
Yun Xi, P6, George Heriot’s School
Scarlett, P7, Port Ellen Primary School

Second Level: Comics

Winner: Marelize, P7, Whalsay School

"Ninja Granny Hates Maths" by Marelize, P7, from Whalsay School

Comic Strip Part 1

Picture 1: "This is Ninja Granny, she hates maths."A granny in karate great doing a kick, a number 4 running away. Granny says: "I'm a black belt you know!"

Picture 2: "Everyone knows that she loves to annoy the poor numbers that live in her town." A room in a house showing numbers hiding or running away, saying "She's here" and "I'm scared."

Picture 3: "Her room mate Gunter that she should get some therapy." Ninja Granny is shown talking to a man, saying "What did you do?"

Picture 4: "This is how it happened." Gunter says "Yippee!" A close up of a book showing Finn Finity.

Picture 5: "So the next day the therapist, who is called Finn, turned up." Picture of Finn arriving at Ninja Granny's door.

Picture 6: "Ninja Granny was speechless, so she told him to come in." Finn is shown sitting in a chair, Granny is laying down. Finn asks "Why do you hate maths?" Granny says "I better go cook."

Picture 7: "She went to the oven." Granny is shown at the oven, saying "Better turn it on."

Picture 8: Finn Finity says "You do realise that you're usingh numbers!" Granny says "WHAT!?"

"Ninja Granny Hates Maths" by Marelize, P7, from Whalsay School

Comic Strip Part 2

Picture 1: "Suddenly Finn got an idea." Picture of Finn with a lightbulb above his head, saying "That's it!"

Picture 2: "He led Ninja Granny outside." Finn and Granny shown in the garden next to a sunflower. Finn says "Pretty flower". Granny says "Thanks. I grew it myself."

Picture 3: Drawing of a giant sunflower. Finn says "It's a circle." Granny says "And?"

Picture 4: Finn and Granny in the garden. Granny's jaw has dropped. Finn says "That's maths!" Granny says "Wha- ?!"

Picture 5: "Ninja Granny couldn't believe it. The picture shows a shop, a price tag, a person and a ball. "Look at the shapes and numbers around you."

Picture 6: "Ninja Granny acknowledged this and immediately apologised." The picture shows Granny talking to Number 5. Granny says "Sorry, five." Five says "It's okay, Ninja Granny."

Picture 7: "She even started going to maths lessons." Picture shows a raised hand, and speech bubbles saying "What's 1 x 3 - 2? Ninja Granny?"

Picture 8: "And it's all thanks to Gunter and Finn!" A picture of Gunter and Finn Finity. "BFFs for life" "The end."

Runners-Up:

Magnus, P5, Firth Primary School
Holly, P7, St Nicholas’ Primary School

Finalists:

Daniel, P6, St Stephen’s Primary School
Elsa, P7, Whalsay School

The Scottish Book Trust have once again compiled all 21 finalists in to an online ebook, which is available to view now via the link below. Enjoy reading the fun and exciting tales of Finn Finity for your Book Week Scotland celebrations!

View 'Maths Tales Contest 2025' eBook

Highly Commended Entries

As it was so difficult to choose from among so many entries, we have also picked some Highly Commended entries which, while they did not make it in to the eBook, will be shared on our social media channels, so do keep an eye out for them there! Well done to the following Highly Commended entries:

Freestyle Entries

Fern, P2, Bowmore Primary School
Katie, P3/4, Dunblane Primary School
Grace, P4, Torphins Primary Schoo
Catherine, P6, Torphins Primary School
Winnie, P7, Twynholm Primary School
Jasmine, S1 (Second Level), Leith Academy

Comics

Niamh, P4, Firth Primary School
Ark, P4, St Nina's Primary School
Cara, P4/5, St Nicholas' Primary School
Hayan, P6, Aith Junior High School
Thorfinn, P7, Firth Primary School

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