Financial Literacy for Children: Books available at the Ottawa Public Library
/The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some of their favourite books for children with us. This month's post is by Kristina Roudiy, Children's Program Assistant at the Alta Vista Branch.
This month's booklist showcases various fun and helpful juvenile titles on Financial Literacy. There are also some workshops families can attend this month at the Ottawa Public Library! Special guest Tecla Kalinda from ZalaSmart will be visiting six branches (Manotick, Nepean Centrepointe, Ruth E.Dickinson, Blackburn Hamlet, Stittsville and Alta Vista) to talk about money with children ages 9-12. Other presentations, such as those about cyber fraud, bank accounts and savings, might be of interest to tweens & teens. Happy Financial Literacy month!
Series of picture books: A Moneybunny book / Cinders McLeod
Save it! (2019) https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1187703026
Spend it! (2019) https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1149444026
Earn it! (2017) https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1163747026
Ages 4-6. Through these three titles, we follow the financial adventures of three different rabbit characters. The first one, Honey, is intent to save money to buy a playhouse, to find peace and quiet away from his five siblings. The second one, Sonny, learns that he has to make choices with his allowance and that he can't buy everything he wants. The third one, Bun, has a passion for singing and thinks she can get rich quickly through her music -but as her mother explains, it takes time and hard work to get successful. A sweet, simplistic introduction to financial literacy.
Picture book: Arthur's pet business / Marc Tolon Brown. 1990
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/337863026
Ages 4-7. This is adventure #14 in a classic series. In this book, well-known, well-loved character Arthur attempts to start a pet business. His objective is not so much to earn money (although his sister D.W. begs to differ!) as it is to prove that he is responsible enough to get a puppy.
Picture book: My rows and piles of coins / Tololwa Mollel. 1999
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/200380026
Ages 4-8. This is the story of a Tanzanian boy, Saruni, who has been helping his mother at the market and saving coins with the hope to, one day, have enough money to buy a bicycle. But when will he have enough coins? With stunning watercolour paintings of a contemporary village.
Chapter book: Nancy Clancy seeks a fortune / Jane O' Connor. 2016
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/962878026
Ages 6-8. This is volume seven in a series of books with a grown-up (now in grade three) version of “Fancy Nancy”. Nancy Clancy still adores everything fancy, and also likes to play detectives with her friend Bree. In this book, they learn all about the California Gold Rush in school and decide to make their own fortune, one way or another. But they soon learn that money isn't everything... A fun, informative story about the perks and challenges of being an entrepreneur.
Chapter book: The unlucky lottery winners of classroom 13 / Honest Lee. 2017
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1059225026
Ages 7-9. The humorous tale of an unlucky teacher who suddenly wins twenty-eight billion dollars and, as previously agreed, shares the lottery money with her students. Each chapter focuses on a different child and shows the crazy ways in which they spend (or lose!) the money.
Chapter book: Cleo Edison Oliver, playground millionnaire / Sundee Tucker Frazier. 2016
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/957650026
Ages 8-11. Meet Cleo, an African-American -Filipino fifth-grade entrepreneur! She is determined to follow in the footsteps of her TV idol, Fortune Davies and has lots of fun ideas (why not sell avocadoes? Or make a teeth-pulling business?) but soon starts to neglect her best friend Caylee.
Graphic novel: The Finance Smurf: a Smurfs Graphic Novel / Peyo. 2014
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/794017026
Ages 8-12. Volume 18 in this graphic novel series. This time, Papa Smurf got badly injured in a lab accident and sent a Smurf to get a cure from a nearby wizard. The smurf witnessed the exchange of money among human beings and decided to introduce money in his own village.
Non-fiction : Canada Up Close : Canadian Money / Elizabeth MacLeod. 2011.
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/602013026
Ages 7-9. This non-fiction title by award-winner author Elizabeth MacLeod is an informative read on Canadian Money. Children will learn about the money used by First Nations, The Royal Mint, Bank of Canada, how money gets printed, circulated and disposed of... and much more!
Non-fiction: The history of money: from bartering to banking / Martin Jenkins. 2014
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/785357026
Ages 9-11. A book in which children explore the history of money in a fun way, from the early forms of money (shells, precious metals, etc.) to more contemporary types of currency. Did you know that, in 1946, a European currency kept changing value every hour? Do you know what hyperinflation means? The author's simple examples are accompanied by cartoonish drawings.
Non-fiction: Follow your money: who gets it, who spends it, where does it go? / Kevin Sylvester. 2013
https://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/715336026
Ages 10-13. Canadian authors Kevin Sylvester and Michael Hlinka introduce young consumers to the way in which money flows in the Canadian economy, through twenty-seven two-page chapters. The examples include common items used by teens, for example MP3 players, pizza or sneakers, and explain concepts such as : store sales, taxes, minimum wage, gross vs. net profit. A unique approach to economics & money, hopefully enabling youth to be smarter consumers.
