Earning Money

Children's Literature - Nancy Garhan Attebury

All books in the "Money" series take readers on a journey as the text defines the title word(s) and elaborates in short, easy-to-understand chapters. Chapters consist of two- to three-page spreads which are broken into short sections and enhanced with up-to-date, colorful photos. "Info-plus" sidebars are found on many pages and printed inside a coin shape. This specific title sports an attractive cover. It shows a little girl taking the piggy bank containing her earned money to the bank. Inside pages will help children learn about products and services, self-employment and the employee, as well as terms like "pension" and "budget." These bold terms are defined in the glossary at the end of the book and a helpful cue on the table of contents page lets readers know where to find out what the bold words mean. In addition to information about earning money today, one chapter is devoted to explaining how people earned money long ago. Colorful graphs offer added information and one chart discusses income tax. Especially helpful are mid-spreads about running a business. They use ledgers to show income, expenses, and profits in a way for young readers to understand. Photos and short paragraphs on successful earners such as Bill Gates and Nicole Kidman are included. An end activity lets children design their own paper money. Having this book in the classroom can augment math lessons and give children actual tips on how to earn money.