Busy Bee Literacy x Benjamin Talks

Financial Literacy Books to Build Financial Fitness

Busy Bee Literacy REcommendations

 As Financial Literacy month approaches, BT partnered with Mary Elizabeth Shaw, founder of Busy Bee Literacy.  Mary Elizabeth’s expert picks help parents curate their home libraries with the best money-conscious books on the shelves. We’ve tested these titles on the BT dozen and our kids loved building their financial fitness, one great story at a time. 

 Mary Elizabeth Shaw is a reading specialist based in Connecticut (M.Ed. Ed.D., Harvard GSE Language & Literacy Development).  For more literacy tips and tricks, visit www.busybeeliteracy.com and follow Mary Elizabeth on @busybeeliteracy.

Financial Literacy Books For Little Ones (Under 5):

Sheep in a Shop by, Nancy Shaw
Five sheep head to the shop to buy a birthday present. When they go to pay, they realize they do not have quite enough money. Find out how the sheep problem solve and decide to do some bartering to make up for their lack of funds.  Buy it on Harper Collins here.

One Cent, Two Cent, Old Cent, New Cent by, Bonnie Worth
The Cat in the Hat gives readers a glimpse into the history of money starting with the concept of bartering. The cat explains everything from various forms of money used in different cultures to banking in a simple, fun, and of course, rhyming rhythmic read.  Buy it on Amazon here.

The Penny Pot (part of the Math Start series) by, Stuart J. Murphy
Have you ever wanted something but not had enough money? Jessie would love to have her face painted at the school fair but at a cost of 50 cents, she does not have enough money. Readers see Jessie counting her money and realizing she will need more. The art teacher suggests that Jessie wait to see if other kids leave extra pennies in the penny pot that she can use toward her face painting. Find out if Jessie gets enough money!  Buy it on Barnes and Noble here.

Bunny Money by, Rosemary Wells
Ruby has been saving up money for her grandmother’s birthday present. Quickly, the money starts to run out and Ruby is not sure she will have enough money for the gift!  Buy it on Amazon here.

Financial Literacy Books For Age 5+

Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money by, Emily Jenkins
Pauline and John John decide to have a lemonade stand in the middle of winter. They practice having a sale, advertising, and counting money. Find out if they make or lose money with their winter lemonade stand. Buy it on Scholastic Books here.

What Do You Do With An Idea? By, Kobi Yamada
This is a special book for anyone who has had an idea, no matter how big, that they want to bring to life. While this book does not explicitly teach about money, it is a great conversation starter about entrepreneurship and building confidence.  Buy it at Barnes and Noble here.

You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime by, Harriet Ziefert
In this book, readers learn about money right along with Pete as he saves and then spends too much of his allowance. Pete decides to begin saving again by doing chores and readers have the opportunity to count along and do simple computations with Pete as he saves money in his bank. Not only is this book a great opportunity to learn about saving and spending money, its rhyming verse makes it an enjoyable read. Buy it here.

If You Made a Million by, David Schwartz
Marvelossisimo is a mathematical magician who explains the value of money. The realistic pictures of money allow children to see dollars and cents and have their values explained. The basics of earning, saving, and investing money are all described in this book with beautiful illustrations. Buy it on Scholastic Books.

A Chair for My Mother by, Vera Williams
This story shows the hard work that goes into saving money. Rosa’s mother works at a diner and every day she comes home and places her tips in a jar and together they count their savings. The family lost their belongings in a fire and are working hard to save up enough money to buy a comfortable chair for Rosa’s hard working mother.  Buy it on Scholastic Books.

Those Shoes by, Marybeth Boelts
Jeremy is desperate to have the same black high tops as the other kids in his school. Unfortunately, Jeremy’s grandmother does not have enough money to buy those shoes for him but she does buy him brand new warm winter boots that he needs. This is a touching story about wanting, and giving to others. Buy it on Scholastic Books.

Financial Literacy Books For Ages 8+

The Lemonade War by, Jacqueline Davies
Jessie and her brother Evan are experiencing some tension in their relationship now that Evan has learned that his sister will be joining him in his fourth grade classroom. The siblings have a competition to see who can sell the most lemonade before the start of the school year. These siblings exemplify how business prowess requires not only mathematical knowledge but also people skills. See how these two siblings learn about their relationship and manage their lemonade stands. Buy it here.

Lawn Boy by, Gary Paulson
This is a funny, entertaining story about a twelve year old boy who starts a lawn mowing business. Little does he know he will be learning about earning money, saving, and investing as his business grows!   Buy it on Scholastic Books.

Lunch Money by, Andrew Clements
Greg and Maura are young neighbors with competing comic book businesses. Pretty soon the two become unlikely business partners and face a challenge when their school principal decides the comic books can no longer be sold in school. Read to find out if their business will make it through these challenging times!  Buy it here.

Kidpreneurs Young Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas! by, Matthew and Adam Torren
This is an informative nonfiction book for young entrepreneurs. The book provides basic information and illustrations to teach children about starting, managing and growing successful businesses. Buy it on Amazon.

We hope you love Busy Bee Literacy’s financial literacy book recommendations as much as we do!