A Kid's Guide to Stock Market Investing

November 1, 2008
Gr 4-6-Striving to provide practical suggestions on managing money, each book begins and ends with a fictional account in which students embark on a relevant unit. Between that unfortunate framing are practical, well-written descriptions. Orr keeps in mind childrens interests and limitations, stressing, for example, parental involvement where important, such as in setting up bank accounts and getting jobs. "Earning Money" and "Coins" should generate the most demand. The former is realistic about the trade-offs involved in a child working and offers alternatives to true jobs (raking leaves, running errands), while the second includes a concise history of money in its introduction to collecting coins and currency. For readers with long term interests, the rest of the series will be useful. "Savings" explores banking and clearly explains compound interest; "Stock Market" describes in basic terms how the markets work and suggests activities to learn more before investing; and "Budgeting" demonstrates how planning can lead to significant financial gains. Stock photos feature multigenerational and diverse subjects and illustrate related locations and historical figures, while graphs and sidebars enhance the texts. Well-documented and informative introductions."By Jeffrey A. French, formerly at Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH"

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