Want to raise money-savvy kids? We’ve rounded up the best money books for kids to help you guide them into early financial literacy!
Introducing money and the principles surrounding it as early as you can help tremendously to ensure your kids grasp the ideas.
Grasping the ideas behind money principles is the first step before they can put the principles into practice.
We also know that repetition is the best way to learn. So, adding short stories about money in your toddler’s book rotation is a fantastic way to get them interested in the topic.
That said, let’s get into some of the benefits of money books for kids!
Benefits of reading children’s books about money
“Children see, children do.” Have you heard this before? It’s true, though, isn’t it?
Sometimes, our children copying us is just something that seems funny.
Although kids can learn from their parent’s money habits, too.
If you have healthy money habits, then you’re a good role model. But if your kids have seen or heard you stress about money, then you might need some countermeasures.
Taking time to explain simple things like paying for groceries is a good start. Then, of course, you can drive the lessons home by having them read some finance books for kids.
Why read money books for kids?
Short stories about money can help children learn about finance, people, and events outside their own experiences. As a result, it exposes them to new ways of life, ideas, and beliefs about the world.
Reading short stories about money is a great way to teach them that they can create something different and better than what they currently know.
Furthermore, teenagers today are growing up in a digital world where there’s so much information. The sheer amount of money advice they can find on YouTube and social media can be overwhelming. It also poses a problem when they follow misleading advice.
Lastly, as adults, most of us worry so much about money. This makes it a charged subject when we bring it up with our kids.
Most often than not, we color our conversations around money with our own difficult experiences and biases. And it turns our kids off from listening, let alone learning.
That’s why, sometimes, handing them a book is a better idea.
Best finance books for kids
Here you go–our best money books for kids that are sure to inspire and motivate your kids into building a solid financial foundation!
1. Investing for Kids: How to Save, Invest and Grow Money by Dylin Redling and Allison Tom
Raising money-savvy kids is easier with books like Investing for Kids. It gives kids ages 8 to 12 a jump-start on the basics of how money works, such as how to earn it and how to start a savings plan. All of which help kids look forward to a future where they have money in the bank.
The Dollar Duo, Dylin Redling, and Allison Tom, also cover essential and engaging information on investing and how to make money grow to build wealth. In addition, the book delivers interactive activities and discussions that kids of all ages will enjoy.
2. Finance 101 for Kids: Money Lessons Children Cannot Afford to Miss by Walter Andal
Walter Andal was frustrated with the lack of personal finance resources that his children could learn from, so he wrote one. The book, Finance 101 for Kids, is exactly what it sounds like.
It’s one of the most informative and entertaining money books for kids to help children understand how money works. So they are able to build a solid foundation on how to handle money. The book even teaches the importance of giving back to the community.
3. How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000: Earn! Save! Invest! by James McKenna, Jeannine Glista, et al.
The book, How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000 is a thorough introduction to finance for kids ages 10 to 12. It also includes a lot of super helpful tips on setting financial goals, investing wisely, and starting a business.
The book also emphasizes saving with the added bonus of teaching your kids to think like a millionaire. I love that it clearly states that millionaires are not people who spend a million dollars but people who have a million dollars.
Young readers will enjoy the inspiring stories of millionaires and how they did it. In addition, the graphics and the layout are fantastic.
It makes the book easy to read and helps keep the kid’s attention. That’s why we included it in this list of the best finance books for kids.
4. A Smart Girl’s Guide: Money (Revised): How to Make It, Save It, and Spend It (Smart Girl’s Guides) by Nancy Holyoke and Brigette Barrager
Introducing books written from your kid’s perspective, like A Smart Girl’s Guide, is a great way to get them interested and have them ask questions. In this read, Nancy Holyoke and Brigette Barrager teach girls money management in an easy and fun way.
The book has quizzes, tips, and helpful quotes from other girls that are sure to delight and inspire your middle-schooler.
5. Money Ninja: A Children’s Book About Saving, Investing, and Donating (Ninja Life Hacks) by Mary Nhin
The Money Ninja book is part of the Ninja Life Hacks books series geared to kids ages 3 to 11. It teaches children important life skills through stories with colorful illustrations with adorable characters.
Read it with your toddlers and kids. It’s a good way to introduce the concepts of earning money, saving, and giving. All of which promote a growth mindset in kids.
6. Grandpa’s Fortune Fables: Fun Stories to Teach Kids About Money by Will Rainey
Use Grandpa’s Fortune Fables as a tool to bond with your kids over fun and short stories about money. It features Gail, a 13-year-old girl, who shares her Grandpa’s adventures to a faraway island. Each chapter is a money lesson to help kids discover how to manage money.
Will Rainey does an excellent job of introducing financial concepts in an easy-to-digest format. The book is easy to read and provides action steps for your kids to take.
Reading and discussing the lessons is an amazing way to teach your kids about money at an early age. That’s why we added this book to our list of the best finance books for kids.
7. Kid’s Activity Book on Money and Finance: Teach Children About Saving, Borrowing, and Planning for the Future—40+ Quizzes, Puzzles, and Activities by Allan Kunigis
Kids are sponges who soak up every bit of what goes on around them. As parents, we can nurture that thirst for knowledge with awesome books like Kid’s Activity Book on Money and Finance.
Your child can learn about money through engaging activities like word searches, crossword puzzles, rhymes, quizzes, and other games.
The activities introduce kids to the principles of money. Even if it only prompts them to ask questions, that’s a good starting point to lay the foundation of financial literacy.
8. What is Money?: Personal Finance for Kids by Kelly Lee
In a world where kids don’t see us paying for things we buy with actual money, it’s even more important to introduce the concept as early as we can.
“What Is Money?” is an excellent book to read to your toddler.
It has short stories about money, drawings, simple language, and colorful pages. Everything that’s age-appropriate for your toddler.
This is one of the children’s books about money that gets our vote. It contains a series of questions with really simple explanations and examples. Your kids will love to read it over and over again.
9. Investing for Teens: How To Invest and Grow Your Money! By Alex Higgs
Investing is a loud space right now, especially on social media. It seems everyone is an expert, but they’re all saying different things. So, help your teen get the right advice and helpful information with one of the best money books for kids.
The book, Investing for Teens, is geared towards young adults, ages 13 to 18, as a step-by-step guide on building a solid foundation for their future. It covers a multitude of topics to help them manage and grow their money and set themselves up for financial independence.
10. The Everything Kids’ Money Book: Earn it, Save it, and Watch it Grow! By Brette Sember
Help your kids comprehend the value of money and become financially responsible adults with The Everything Kids’ Money Book.
Your kids will learn about the basics of money, such as how bills and coins are made and what they can buy.
Brette Sember also discusses how kids can earn, save, and invest their own money. Most importantly, it’s one of the children’s books about money that tackles the ins and outs of financial technology – a must for kids growing up in a digital era.
11. Heads Up Money by Marcus Weeks
The Heads Up Money book covers complicated financial and economic topics, including supply and demand, investing, and market trends. It answers inquiries like, “what would happen if the bank simply prints more money?”
Even though the topics are complex, it is presented in a dynamic, fun, and easy-to-follow format geared toward kids in grades 5-12.
12. I Want More Pizza: Real World Money Skills For High School, College, And Beyond by Steve Burkholder
I Want More Pizza is almost a mini-book that’s perfect for your teens who are not big readers. But even if it’s short, this book still packs a punch.
It uses the pizza model to break down barriers around young adults’ hesitation to learn about money management.
If your kid is a teenager, you know how hard it is to get them interested in something. We need as much help as possible.
So, get them a book about pizza that teaches them about saving, spending, goal setting, investing knowledge, and taking real-world action.
13. Kyng & Kyren’s Generational Wealth Building Activity Book by Kyren Gibson
When Kyren became a dad, he made a decision to change his life. Kyren wanted to leave a legacy for his son, Kyng. Thus began his journey of learning how to build generational wealth.
He wrote Kyng & Kyren’s Generational Wealth Building Activity Book to help educate his community on the fundamental blocks of financial literacy. And he makes learning as fun, engaging, and motivating as can be.
14. More Money, Please: The Financial Secrets You Never Learned in School by Scott Gamm
More Money, Please is a personal finance crash course ideal for high-schoolers, college students, and recent grads. It is a comprehensive, easy-to-understand introduction to money management.
It walks readers through budgeting, paying for college without getting into a ton of debt, and saving for retirement early.
In this book, Scott Gamm also discusses why having a credit card can be a good thing and how to use technology and smartphones to pay bills on time.
Raise financially savvy children with the best money books for kids
Many of us got to adulthood without any money management skills. We wish we were better equipped. But most of our parents didn’t have any knowledge to pass on either.
Furthermore, a lot of the money advice that worked then doesn’t work now. And it probably won’t apply to the world our kids will grow up in.
So, let’s do better for our kids. Start money talk early, even if it’s just reading short stories about money. And get them interested in exploring financial literacy with the help of the money books for kids in this list.
To keep learning, see the other Clever Girl Finance articles about financial wellness and how kids can make money!
