Bank Wisely

November 1, 2015

Gr 1-3-The books in this photo-illustrated series encourage elementary-age students to think wisely about money matters. Simple, declarative statements provide the bulk of the content yet manage to only fill about half the space on each page, leaving a great deal of white space; vivid multicolored borders and chapter endings presented in a bright, Seussian font pop against the white background and provide visual appeal. Sandwiched by boldly hued horizontal blocks, the full-page captioned photos are striking, and the diverse cast of subjects are authentic, allowing readers to see themselves running a lemonade stand or counting money. Simple Q&As interspersed throughout inspire critical thinking, as do built-in math problems that are solved in the narrative. VERDICT Solid additions that make financial literacy accessible for young readers.

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2015
Grades 2-4 Do you have some money? Where can you keep it? Beginning with these simple questions, Schwartz discusses the basic consumer banking functions in simple terms. Beyond explaining the details of how a bank account works (deposits, withdrawals, interest, bank statements), the clearly written text introduces checks, debit cards, and credit cards, as well as the use of bank funds to lend money for purchases such as cars and houses. A Q&A feature runs along the bottom margins of many pages. The clean, colorful page design includes large-type text with plenty of white space and clearly reproduced stock photos showing a diverse population using banks in different ways. Teachers and parents looking for a book providing kids with basic financial literacy may want to check out this well-targeted volume from the Money Smarts series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)