Street Wise: A Guide for Teen Investors (Paperback)

by Janet Bamford (Author) "WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MONEY BY INVESTING, time is on your side..." (more)
Key Phrases: stock market game, young investors, paper portfolio, Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, Stein Roe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Today's young people are not only interested in money, they're quite knowledgeable about it--which is apparently what happens when you mix computer know-how with full employment and parents who play the market. Most, however, still require some assistance as they begin to build their nest eggs. Janet Bamford's Street Wise: A Guide for Teen Investors fits this bill nicely because it assembles virtually everything these budding financiers need, and presents it in language they understand. Bamford addresses the market's operation, full-service versus discount brokers, taxes, investment clubs and games, and even the possibility of a Wall Street career. Her best advice concerns stocks and mutual funds and is again delivered in a relevant, complete, and thoroughly noncondescending manner. "A stock is to a mutual fund," she writes at one point, in a style familiar to her audience, "as: (a) a can of soda is to a six pack, (b) the Dallas Cowboys are to the NFL, (c) a kitten is to a dog, (d) a flower is to a garden." The answer, by the way, is (d). Bamford also discusses specific kid-friendly investment vehicles, as well as the initial fiscal forays of high-fliers like thestreet.com's James Cramer. --Howard Rothman

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-This well-written primer offers more real-life stories of wise (and not-so-wise) investors than other titles. Bamford begins with the basics: "Stock Market 101," provides many sidebars with definitions and attention-getting examples, and moves right into choosing stocks in which to invest. Her clear prose and conversational manner will both interest and reassure readers that they, too, can act successfully in this sometimes-intimidating arena. Like most responsible advisors, the author stresses that teenagers have the advantage of time to wait out market ups and downs, and should therefore look for long-term investments rather than high-flying "sure things." She devotes much space to evaluating mutual funds, and suggests learning by joining investment clubs, playing stock-market simulation games, and investigating resources found on the Internet. Unfortunately there are no illustrations to draw reader interest, limiting the book's appeal to those who seriously want to make money. For those readers, the author does a fine job. Jay Liebowitz's Wall Street Wizard (S & S, 2000) provides much the same advice in more teen-oriented language, but Bamford's bibliography covers the basics better. Libraries owning Marion Rendon and Rachel Kranz's standard on the topic, Straight Talk about Money (Facts On File, 1992), will want to update their collections with Street Wise.-Jonathan Betz-Zall, City University Library, Everett, WA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bloomberg Press (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576600394
• ISBN-13: 978-1576600399
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,519 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #15 in	Books > Business & Investing > Personal Finance > Money Management for Young People
  #34 in	Books > Children's Books > Reference & Nonfiction > Business & Money

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy-to-read and comprehensive, October 24, 2000

By A Customer

"Street Wise" is a great introduction to the world of stocks and bonds. I thought that I knew the basics of how "The Street" works, but I learned a great deal from this book. The list of web sites in the back is really useful, and the interviews with past and present teen investors are also interesting.

The author writes clearly and doesn't talk down to teens. She doesn't promise that you'll become a billionaire overnight, but she does a great job of explaining how to make smart decisions with your money.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for all teenagers!, January 22, 2003

By	T. Hopper - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent introduction to the stock market for teenagers. The book is directed towards teenagers and accomplishes it's goal well. All teenagers should read this book to gain a starting knowledge of the American Stockmarket.
The book teaches stock vocabulary, trading tips, how to start, risk and rewards, and many other topics. But, this book is definitely an introduction - if you have a good knowledge of the stock market already, this might not be for you.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Little Too Boring for Teens . . ., December 27, 2007

By	Cheryl Sellers Johnson "www.SellersTeam.com" (Rockville, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book has all the nuts and bolts, but it is a little too boring to keep the attention of my 16-year-old nephew. I also got him the Motley Fool Guide to Teen Investing which was much more interesting. This Street Wise book is a little too much like homework. If you're trying to get the teen exciting about investing and its possibilities, the Motley Fool book is a better choice in my opinion. Both books together make a solid start to an investing library for teens.