Kid-Tested, Banker-Approved: Children's Books About Money
March 14, 2022
By Pam McCready
Commercial Services Officer
Financial literacy is always top-of-mind for us bankers — and we bet it is for most parents, too.
However, a study by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority found that discussing money brings anxiety to about 53 percent of adults. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be stressful for you and your family. In fact, teaching money management and the building blocks of personal finance can start as soon as early childhood — and it can actually be fun!
How to teach kids about money
There are several resources out there to make money talks easier. One of our favorite is books — in particular, children's books about money that meet youngsters where they are in their development. Learning about money sets up your kids for lifelong financial success, and reading to them also makes for a great bonding experience as a family.
Top 10 financial literacy books for kids
We recommend these 10 money books for kids, listed by age — from toddlers to teens.
1) Moneybunny Book Series
Ages: 3 to 5
About: Four books follow four different bunnies (Bun, Honey, Sonny and Chummy) as they learn the fundamentals of money. Bun learns how to work toward her goals in Earn It!, Honey learns about patience and perseverance in Save It!, Sonny learns how to make responsible choices in Spend It! and Chummy learns the value of helping others through money in Give It!
Amazon Customer Review: “This series of books was very well received by my granddaughter, and she wasn't satisfied until I purchased the whole series. Each of the books easily explains the facts about money and in a way kids can understand and be entertained at the same time.”
2) The Berenstain Bears' Trouble With Money
Ages: 3 to 7
About: Doesn’t money grow on trees? Brother and Sister Berenstain are about to find out! Under Mama and Papa’s guidance, the cubs launch their own businesses — including a lemonade stand and a pet-walking service — all while learning the basics of how money works and how it influences your choices.
Amazon Customer Review: “This book uses a cute approach to teaching about overspending, saving, earning, etc. This is a great resource to teach children the basic concepts of economics. My four-year-old thinks it's entertaining as well.”
3) Financial Peace Jr.
Ages: 3 to 11
About: Influential financial guru Dave Ramsey puts a new spin on his Financial Peace methodology to help parents raise “money-smart kids.” The complete toolkit includes a parent guide, an activity book, a launch pad chart, a chore chart, “save and spend” envelopes and a free ebook for continued learning.
Amazon Customer Review: “My daughter loves the kit. She is 11 years old and was so excited when she got to customize her commission chart. We have had the kit for over a month and she has managed to save $70.”
4) The Everything Kids' Money Book
Ages: 7 to 12
About: This comprehensive kids financial guide covers almost everything a child needs to know about money: how it’s made, what it can buy, how credit cards work, growing money through savings and stocks, online banking, financial technology and more.
Amazon Customer Review: “My 7 and 10 year old nieces are little entrepreneurs and they make and sell bracelets!! They are loving the book!!”
5) Investing for Kids: How to Save, Invest and Grow Money
Ages: 8 to 12
About: Currently Amazon’s number-one best-selling children’s book about money, Investing for Kids translates the practice of building wealth for younger minds. Content about practical investing, digital trading, diversifying a portfolio, and stocks and bonds aims to give children a “jump-start” on the financial basics.
Amazon Customer Review: “Bought this for my 10 year old granddaughter. She has read about half of it in just a few days and loves it. She shared some of her favorite parts, including stories of successful people and business start ups and a quote from A. Einstein about compound interest.”
6) Finance 101 for Kids: Money Lessons Children Cannot Afford to Miss
Ages: 8 to 12
About: Author Walter Andal helps young readers establish a healthy relationship with money for the rest of their lives. This book (the first of two, with the follow-up titled “Finance 102 for Kids: Practical Money Lessons Children Cannot Afford to Miss”) provides a breakdown of saving and investing, how to manage credit, how the stock market works, how economics affect personal finances and giving back to the community, among other subjects.
Amazon Customer Review: “My 10 year old and I read this book together. We read a chapter a day and would have really good conversations about them. He enjoyed the book a lot and looked forward to each day.”
7) Kid Start-Up: How YOU Can Become an Entrepreneur
Ages: 9 to 12
About: Super-successful entrepreneur Mark Cuban teaches children how to launch their own business in “kid-friendly” ways. With real-world expertise and profiles of start-ups created by real children, this educational handbook promises to help kids get their business ideas off the ground.
Amazon Customer Review: “As an elementary school teacher, this book is a MUST! In addition to teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic, we are tasked with teaching 21st Century Skills: creativity, grit, collaboration, etc. This book does exactly that!”
8) How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000: Earn! Save! Invest!
Ages: 10 to 14
About: This entertaining and informative book shows children how to put a few simple strategies into practice to become “a bona fide financial whiz.” It teaches kids essential lessons about getting their first job, saving to become a millionaire and growing their money through compound interest.
Amazon Customer Review: “This book really outlines why it is important to start saving and ideas about how to start investing. This book is great for any age and the graphics are fantastic. It keeps my attention and really has a lot of funny and super helpful tips.”
9) Rich Dad Poor Dad for Teens
Ages: Teens and older
About: Adapted from the international best-selling “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” this book applies Robert T. Kiyosaki’s same principles (like speaking the language of money and playing games to understand money) to teenagers. The text features “straight talk” and interactive quizzes as it provides steps toward financial freedom.
Amazon Customer Review: “I purchased the book and read it over the weekend. I found it easy to read with concise digestible concepts that teenagers will understand.”
10) How to Adult: Personal Finance for the Real World
Ages: Teens and older
About: Geared toward teenagers and younger adults, Jake Cousineau balances anecdotes and examples with straightforward explanations and hands-on tools for everything related to personal finance. Topics include building wealth, avoiding financial missteps, budgeting and saving, investing, taxes, insurance and how to prepare for large expenses.
Amazon Customer Review: “I give the author serious credit for explaining some very complex terms in a format that is easily comprehensible and entertaining. I think the complexity of finances scares a lot of people, and I was definitely one of them.”
Want to learn more about finance?
Take our free crash course on Family Conversations About Money, offered as part of our interactive Financial Learning Center.
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DISCLAIMER: The resources, publications and website links on this list are being provided for the information and convenience of the public, and should not be considered an exclusive endorsement or exclusive recommendation by Security National Bank as an organization. There are many other possible resources that are not listed here that may also be able to serve your needs.