The Smelly Brain Training Manual
Fight Zombies with Math
In this illustrated sci-fi adventure set in an apocalyptic Hawai’i filled with garbage and robots, two brothers are told that smelly brains repel invading space zombies. How do you make your brain smelly?
By doing math, of course! The Smelly Brain Training Manual turns mental math into a hilarious survival mission: The faster you calculate, the stinkier your brain gets-and zombies can’t stand the smell!
Why Kids Love This Book
- Space zombies that are more comical than frightening. A funny zombie book for kids 8-12
- Action scenes, junkyard gadgets, and laugh-out-loud moments
- Illustrated chapters that keep the pages turning
- Math lessons and drills for building number sense that feel like part of the adventure
Inside the Training Manual
Every few chapters, kids encounter:
- Number Sense Strategies
- Mental Math Lessons
- Mini drills
These activities feel like part of the adventure, not homework, making this the rare book that’s both educational and ridiculously funny.
Why Parents & Teachers Love It
- Builds real math confidence through story-integrated practice
- Great for reluctant readers who need something fast, funny, and engaging
- Positive ADHD representation: different brains = different strengths
- AAPI protagonists and an authentic Hawaiian setting
Perfect For
- Kids ages 8-12
- Reluctant readers who need humor and action
- STEM-loving families
- Teachers and homeschoolers looking for math enrichment
- Fans of The Wild Robot, The Last Kids on Earth, and funny sci-fi
MEET CIL LEIGH
AUTHOR
Cil Leigh Reiter is an artist and writer from Kaimukī, Hawai‘i, who believes that creativity and curiosity can make any subject fun, even math. A graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where she studied drawing, painting, and creative writing, Cil brings her love of storytelling and visual humor to every page she creates.
She is the author and illustrator behind The Smelly Brain Books series, three illustrated novels with accompanying workbooks that blend STEM learning, math puzzles, and quirky, dry humor about technology to get kids learning and laughing at the same time.
Cil lives on Oahu with her loving husband and three children in a lively, creative household where art projects, STEM builds, and robot doodles often take over the kitchen table. She hopes to help middle-grade readers, reluctant learners, and STEM-loving kids discover the fun of learning through silly cartoons and a little island-style fun.
When she is not working on her books, you can find her baking cookies and cakes, playing card games with her family (like Monopoly Deal, Ono 99, Blink), or watching funny cartoons (Futurama, Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, and Avatar are some of her favorites).
The Smelly Brain Training Manual
Fight Zombies with Math
