Dollars & Sense: Managing Your Money (Everyday Economics) [Library Binding]

Ernestine Giesecke (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Everyday Economics

Open the pages of this book to get an inside look at what people can do to wisely manage their money. Find out the difference between needs and wants, how to become a smart spender, and the importance of a good credit history. In this book, you'll discover

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ernestine Giesecke is a Heinemann-Raintree author.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 48 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann Library (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588104923
• ISBN-13: 978-1588104922
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,601,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars You can give a kid a book, but you can't make him read it., July 30, 2008

By 

Allison (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dollars & Sense: Managing Your Money (Everyday Economics) (Library Binding)

Dollars and Sense is the first book in the Heinemann Know it (Everyday Economics) series that I've seen, and I'm not terribly impressed. This book was obviously written expressly for the school and library market. It follows a set format with topics presented on double page spread, illustrated with color photos, charts, and punctuated with bright yellow "Know It" facts. I can't fault the book for accuracy, but it is not very engaging. The kids who could use information like this the most, probably won't slog through it. And I hate the idea that anyone would be forced to read this, because that would make kids even more resistant to learning about this vital subject.

The book feels a lot like a section from a larger book. It doesn't not open with an introduction to money and the concept of exchange, but rather launches right in to discussing the subject using terms that kids are presumably supposed to look up in the glossary. For instance, the very first sentence in the book reads, "Throughout the world, people receive money in exchange for work. This money is called income. some people earn income by running their own business. They may sell goods, such as bracelets, or provide a service, such as house painting. [the words income, goods, and services are in bold]" Dry, dry, dry. Plus it presumes a level of familiarity with the subject that would make the book un-needed in my opinion.

It doesn't improve from there. Photographs are clearly chosen to "appeal" to children, and so feature many kids, including one teenage girl writing a check for some CDs she is purchasing (does anyone still DO this?). In general look like stock images, and out of date ones at that.

Subjects covered in the book are as follows: Money and Income, Making Choices, Using Your Allowance, Smart Spending, Plan Before You Buy, More Money More Choices, Smart Savings, Savings and Interest, Choosing a Savings Account, Shopping for Value, Choosing a Charity, Household Budgets, Expenses, Making It Work, Record Keeping, Credit Cards, Credit Card Interest, Loans, Credit History, and Start a Budget. Each page is covered with a couple of paragraphs and some illustrations or charts. I'm sure these cover the requirements of some state required curricula somewhere, but it comes at the cost of making the subject about as boring as possible. If we really want kids to learn, pushing formulatic and blatantly educational books on them is not going to work.

There are a few nuggets of good information in the book (identifying needs vs. wants, planning for the costs of a pet, simple vs compound interest), but there is little in the way of a big picture discussion, wealth building, and financial security. In short, it's an unmemorable book. And I'm not sure whether kids will be attracted to it in the first place.

Back to looking for a really GOOD book on financial literacy for kids....