Kids, Book and Money – All 3 Words Go Side-by-Side. Check Out This Epic List of 15 Educational Children Books.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “Never spend your money before you have earned it.” It’s a valuable lesson that adults are still learning and it’s a lesson best learnt while we’re still kids!
Children are like sponges. They absorb information quickly and effortlessly. And while you’re teaching them to read and write, you also need to teach them about money.
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And in this article – it really is about our future billionaires. The ones that are going to be choosing our retirement home one day, so best we start providing a proper education about money instead of teaching them to play the recorder!
Being a parent and reading the good parenting stuff can be exhausting. If you’re done reading for today, you can switch to our video release for this topic:
With that provided, let’s have a look at the first piggy-bank-book in our list.
1
Bunny Money, by Rosemary Wells
Max and Ruby are bunny siblings. Max is 3 and Ruby is 7. This series has been a firm favourite of children since 2002, and who better than these two to teach children about money?
The perfect introduction for toddlers is the story of Max and Ruby taking a wallet full of money into town to buy their granny a present. As is usually the case, they run out of money pretty quickly.
The bunnies know that their Grandma would really love a ballerina box and a pair of vampire teeth. The story unfolds and they run out of money. They have no way of catching the bus home and use their last quarter to phone their granny to fetch them.
Does she get her ballerina box? Sadly not, but she does get her vampire teeth!
It’s a simple to follow lesson on money management and you can print bunny notes and do a similar experiment with your children… well, maybe don’t let your 3-year old catch the bus alone, but you get the point.
2
The Go-Around Dollar by Barbara Johnston Adams
Recommended for ages 6 and up, this book tells the story of the travels of a dollar bill. We see dollar bills often, but have you ever wondered where that dollar bill has been? In this story, Matt finds a dollar on his way from school. He uses it buy shoelaces from Eric. Eric buys bubble gum with the dollar and it forms part of Jenny’s change as she is the next customer.
Not only does this book follow the journey of the dollar but it also gives you a lot of information about the dollar. It’s laden with facts, anecdotes and fun trivia which is a great way to get young readers intrigued with money from the get-go.
Founder and Chairman of the board of Life, Orrin Woodward aptly puts it, ““Dollar bill: people spend their whole life seeking to earn it but won’t spend 10 minutes seeking to learn it.”
3
Make Your Kid A Money Genius (Even If You’re Not): A Parents’ Guide for Kids 3 to 23, by Beth Kobliner
Aluxers, we love the honest title of this book. Don’t let your children make the same financial mistakes you did! Start teaching them from as young as possible the importance and value of money.
This book is for kids aged 3 right through to the big kids at age 23! Beth is also the author of the bestselling book “Get a Financial Life.,” which we’ll tell you more about soon.
This follow-up book is a New York Times bestseller and here’s why:
The book is not stuffed with jargon that is difficult to understand. It contains a step by step guide for each age and income bracket. So, you don’t need to be earning a fortune to instil good financial values in your children. The book teaches delayed gratification, how to act generously, how to work hard, and live within your means.
It sounds like this book will do wonders for grown-ups too!
4
Ultimate Kids’ Money Book by Neale S. Godfrey
Often parents are too afraid to sit down with their children and discuss money. It’s a taboo subject in many homes, but our children can only benefit from having “the talk” sooner rather than later.
We believe we need to wait until our children are old enough to understand the talk, but we’re wasting precious teaching time. A Cambridge University study showed that basic money habits are formed by age 7.
So, don’t delay is Aluxers.
This book is a winner! Neale S Godfrey is also the author of “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” a saying that you’ve probably heard in your house a few times too! She’s one of the first female executives at Chase Bank and is a mom and grandmother.
Her comprehensive guide is for children aged 5 and up and has explanations for everything – credit cards, banks, savings accounts, the Federal Reserve, you name it, it’s got it!
As she says, “Teach them as little ones the natural consequences of money. The only way to get it is to earn it.”
5
The MoneySmart Family System, By Steve and Annette Economides
Called, “the total package” you won’t go wrong purchasing this book. Authors, Steve and Annette, cover a wide scope of topics – from college, teen jobs, insurance, and incorporate an effective guide to paying your children and how grandparents can get involved to teach money skills.
So, how do you know how effective this book really is? Well, the family have been nicknamed “America’s Cheapest Family,” and have been featured on Good Morning America and the Dr. Phil Show.
They also have 5 children, so living frugally is par for the course. The ideas are simple to put into practise and you can start many of them immediately.
Writer Samuel Johnson puts it beautifully, “Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor.”
6
Show Me the Money: Big Questions About Finance, by Alvin Hall
Not just a great line in a movie, Show Me the Money is also a great book written by Alvin Hall. Hall grew up in a panhandle in Florida. He was one of seven children who grew up in extreme poverty. His late grandmother taught him how to save money.
He studied arts but had a knack for finances and has since released several books, appeared on TV shows, radio shows and is an expert in his field.
This book is still relevant, covering everything from the history of money to e-commerce. It focuses on ethics, economics, personal finance, business, debt, savings, retirements, and pensions and so much more.
It’s the kind of stuff you wished you had learnt in school but didn’t because you were too busy learning the recorder!
7
Get a Financial Life, by Beth Kobliner
Aluxers, remember that many of these books are available on audible.com, so be sure to find your favourite there. Great to listen to on the way to school with the kids.
This is the 4th edition of the best-seller book, Get a Financial Life, and targets millennials. Kobliner focuses on people in their 20s and 30s, helping to get their financial lives on track. And at this stage of the strange economic climate we find ourselves in, it’s more important than ever.
She helps people get out of debt, teaches how to save and how to invest for the future. She teaches you how to do your taxes, how to increase credit scores and avoid common money mistakes.
If you’d like to hear about some interesting lessons to teach your children when it comes to money, be sure to hop onto our sister channel – New Parents – and watch our video, 15 Things To Teach Your Child About MONEY.
8
The Kids’ Money Book: Earning, Saving, Spending, Investing, Donating – By Jamie Kyle McGillian
Ideal for ages 8 to 12, this book is a great all-inclusive guide to teach children about money. It covers making a budget, how to invest your earning, knowing the difference between needs and wants and sharing the wealth.
The book is crammed with beautiful illustrations and the highlight is guiding children to become entrepreneurs.
Remind your children what Thomas Edison said if they’re feeling frustrated with their entrepreneurial ideas, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
9
Rock, Brock, And the Savings Shock, By Sheila Bair and Barry Gott
Meet twins, Rock and Brock. They might look alike, but they’re so different. Their grandfather offers to give them each a dollar for every week for 10 weeks, and whatever they have left after 10 weeks, he will match it.
He says to the boys, “Listen now, for here’s the trick, each buck you save, I’ll match it quick. But spend it, there’s no extra dough, so save your cash, and watch it grow.”
Rock can’t believe his luck, he can buy all sorts of things for a dollar… green hair goo, an inflatable moose head … you get the picture.
Brock decides to save. Rock regrets his decision when he sees his brother having saved up a small fortune and learns that it’s never too late to start saving.
A sweet, and easy to follow story geared for 6 to 8 years olds.
10
Growing Money: A Complete Investing Guide for Kids, by Gail Karlitz and Debbie Honig
If you thought 8-years-old was too young to start learning about investing, you would be wrong. This book breaks down investing in the most basic, easy to understand way – anything from bonds, stocks, mutual funds right through to investing.
It teaches the fundamentals of everything your child needs to know about investing with fun graphs, quizzes, and activities.
The beauty about this book? Parents can learn a thing or two as well!
Inspired to get your kids into some practical financial action? Here are “15 Ways Teenagers Can Make Money“.
11
Finance 101 for Kids: Money Lessons Children Cannot Afford to Miss, by Walter Andal
Targeted for ages 9 to 12, this book was written by a dad for parents going through what he went through…. Where there was nothing, he could buy to teach his children the nitty gritty of finance without it being way too OTT.
Besides teaching your child to be kind and gracious and humble, parents must also teach them about finances, and it can get challenging to navigate everything… so, bring in this gem of a book!
The book is informative and entertaining and gives the reader a glimpse into how money started, how you can earn it, how you invest it, what the stock market is, factors that can influence ones personal finance, credit, foreign exchange and the importance of giving back.
12
If You Made a Million, by David Schwartz and Steven Kellogg
The late Jim Rohn once said, “Become a millionaire not for the million dollars, but for what it will make of you to achieve it.”
Aluxers, we’re pretty certain you’ve dreamt about earning a million dollars. With this beautiful story, you might not be making a million anytime soon, but you can put the wheels in motion for your kid to make a million.
Marvelosissimo the Mathematical Magician is ready to give your child the ins and outs of how to earn money, invest it and live off the interest. The book is award-winning and Marvelosissimo takes the different characters of the book to the bank to explain what they can do with their money.
This book really tackles the topic in an easy to understand way. There’s also a brief study guide that the authors have released which you can download in PDF format which helps parents use the book well and reap the most benefits from it.
13
National Geographic Kids Everything Money: A Wealth of Facts, Photos, and Fun! by Kathy Furgang
National Geographic released it’s very first issue in 1888 and hasn’t stopped publishing since then! So, we’re pretty certain that this fun, interactive book about finance for kids, has got everything covered.
There are photos, fun facts, and easy to manage bite-sized pieces of information about money. Topics range from the history of money right through to how to fold a dollar bill into an origami butterfly.
Aluxers, if you keep up the financial training of your children, they’ll be folding $100 bills into origami butterflies!
14
How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000: Earn! Save! Invest! by James McKenna, Jeannine Glista, and Matt Fontaine
“Making money is a game,” write authors James McKenna, Jeannine Glista, and Matt Fontaine, “and we’re going to teach you the basic rules.”
Just that line alone is enough to hook you right from the onset. The book is an easy-to-read, comprehensive and entertaining guide to creating wealth.
The bonus about this book is that it includes a section helping readers with resumes, finding a job and actual working.
It’s geared for ages 10 to 14 and is a small investment now that will reap great rewards later on in life.
15
Smart Money Smart Kids, By Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze
Considered the best book of all – this one is a dad and daughter collaboration. The book was released in 2014 and hasn’t waned in popularity since.
The book is well written, and you’ll be able to relate to many of the concepts from your own family life and experiences.
It starts off simple, covering the basic concepts we need to teach our younger children. It then moves on to paying for college, your child’s first job with emphasis on giving and great work ethics and deals with different ideas to stay debt free.
The book also has another angle that many others don’t– and that’s dealing with discontentment. Like William Morris once said, “The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”
Remember to head to Audible.com to listen to your favourite!
Question:
Aluxers, which of these books would you consider purchasing for your own children or even yourself? We love hearing from you.
