The Secret Life of Money
A KID’S GUIDE TO CA$H
by Kira Vermond
illustrated by Clayton Hanmer
Owlkids Books, 2011
ISBN 978-1-92697-318-0
$13.95, 147 pp., ages 11 – 17
owlkids.com
There’s no doubt that as the world becomes more complex the matter of money is taking on a significant role in the education of young people. A movement has begun in education circles to begin explicitly teaching the subject of financial literacy earlier in school. The Secret Life of Money: A KID’S GUIDE TO CA$H is a comprehensive book which uses clear writing, humour, graphic style and detail to help tweens and teens navigate the many ways to earn, save and use money while at the same time explaining how advertising and business will help to take that money away from them. As an introduction to personal finance, the book covers concepts concerning why we use money and how it is made in a mint, starting your own business and investing in savings accounts and mutual funds. The dense vocabulary which necessarily accompanies any honest explanation of personal finances is augmented with a glossary of terms.
Classroom Connections: This book is an excellent primer for students in grades six to eight or for teachers who want to introduce the ideas of making and saving money as well as the idea of global economies and how events around the world affect our buying habits. The text could be used by the teacher to give the students a basic understanding of personal finance before beginning studies further in depth. Older students in secondary school may want to read this book independently to understand how to strategize their finances as they prepare for postsecondary learning or independent living as they enter the labour market. Either way, I am tempted to subtitle this book “The Wealthy Barber for Kids” and would highly recommend it for any teacher wanting a reference for the classroom or an older student interested in the world of finance.
Review by Kent Miller.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Nov/Dec 2013 issue.
