Why are money books for kids so important? Why should you buy books about money for your kids?
Reading is how we teach and expose our kids to ideas and concepts that we want them to know. Reading books about money to your kids is a good way to start a conversation and teach them about money how you want it to be taught.
Financial literacy is not the easiest concept to teach to kids. These books about money are a good way to introduce a topic and be a great springboard for discussion about money and our relationship with it.
It is so vital to encourage children to read. One way to encourage a love and enjoyment of reading is to read books to your children from a young age and have books in the house for your kids to read.
If you cannot afford to buy books for your kids, there are many ways to get free books for your kids delivered to your house or access them online.
So without further ado, here are some of the best books about money for kids!
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Books About Money for Kids
Money Books for Preschoolers
Preschoolers aren’t really going to learn about budgeting, saving, or investing. But they can learn about the basics concepts of money, about being happy with what you have, about making do with what you have, and not being jealous of others. Here are some money books for kids that address these issues.
Bernstein Bears Trouble With Money by Stan and Jane Bernstein
This is a great personal finance book for kids to get an introduction to money and the importance of a good money mindset. The book takes the reader through a story where the bear kids start to think money grows on trees and the parents help show the kids this isn’t true to learn how to think about and manage money properly. This is a great book for anyone who wants their kids to start thinking more about money and how to manage it best. Thanks to Stacy Caprio from Deals Scoop for the recommendation!
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman
This absolutely gorgeous book is a favorite in our house. A young boy and his grandfather learn about the value of beloved items as they continue to find uses for his beloved blanket. I love this book (not only because it is so pretty) but because I love the lesson behind it. Not everything is about money, gifts, or materialism. We originally got this book from PJ Library.
Happy Birthday, Mali More by Tiffany Aliche
When Mali turns six, she gets lots and lots of gifts. Mali starts to learn about the things that matter most- and it is not gifts! A great book for little kids to learn about what is important in a cute and easy-to-understand format. The awesome @TheBudgetnista writes this book!
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
Ernie & Addie Learn The Value of Saving Money by Jacqueline Sanchez
Ernie and Addie embark on a delightful journey to purchase their dream board game. However, they soon realize that they don’t have enough money to buy it right away. With the guidance of their parents, they learn the power of saving and the importance of financial literacy.
Curious George Saves His Pennies by Margret & H.A. Rey
When George decides to save up for that special red train in the toy store, he doesn’t realize how long it will take—or how hard he’ll have to work for his money. But when the time finally arrives to take his very full piggy bank to the toy store—surprise!—George loses it.
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
The Great Pet Sale by Mick Inkpen
How many pets can you buy with a pound? Whether you use pounds or dollars, this is a cute book with lift-up flaps to reveal cute animals and talk about money. This is a great book for kids that live in the U.K because so many children’s books about money are taught using the American dollar system.
Just Saving My Money by Mercer Mayer
When Little Critter wants a new skateboard, Dad tells him that he needs to save his own money to buy it! He tries his very best but soon finds that saving enough for what he wants isn’t so easy. We love anything by Mercer Mayer, and this is no different!
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
The Berenstain Bears’ Dollars and Sense by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Papa thinks it’s time to teach Brother and Sister how to budget their money, but will the cubs understand the value of a dollar, or will their pockets remain empty? I find introducing concepts to kids with characters they already know and recognize is particularly effective, so childhood classics are always a good bet.
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
Spend It! by Cinders McLeod
A charming introduction to simple money concepts in which a bunny learns he can’t buy everything he wants with his allowance! This is part of the Moneybunny series, which is all about money!
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst
Last Sunday, Alexander’s grandparents gave him a dollar—and he was rich. Then what happened? A great book about impulsive spending from a favorite childhood character.
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
A beautiful book that teaches kindness and empathy and introduces kids to different economic realities that their peers may be facing. With a book like this, letting the kids take the lead in discussions is a good idea.
Some of these themes and concepts are not going to be understood at a young age, and that is ok. It’s important not to come across as preaching or moralizing because they won’t be amenable to earning like that. Read the book, let the ideas percolate, and plant the seeds of understanding for older age.
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
Money Ninja by Mary Nhin
When a friend asks what Money Ninja does with his money, he takes him on a saving, investing, and donating journey. This is a cute book that teaches about delayed gratification and money skills.
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
Pretty Penny Cleans Up by Devon Kinch
“The idea of keeping track of one’s money and designating some for saving, some for sharing, and some for spending is prudent. This title could go a long way toward establishing good personal finance practices.” – School Library Journal. With an endorsement like that- how could I leave it off the list? The Sassy Pants concert is one week away, and Emma has spent all her allowance. What will Penny do to help her?
Money Books for Preteens
Financial Foundations by Tammy Johnston
Money does not need to be a serious study subject. This book talks about learning how money works, goal setting, simple and effective budgeting, understanding the facts about credit, how daily choices affect our lives, and how to keep a long-term perspective and balance. They are targeted to 8 – 12 year old’s. You can check out more about it at Financial Foundations Books.
Finance 101 for Kids by Walter Andal
An informative and entertaining book to help children get on the right path to making smart personal financial decisions.
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
The Everything Kids’ Money Book by Brette Sember
This book teaches kids all they need to know about the “green” they earn so they can save or spend it wisely. It includes discussions on online banking, opening a bank account, and saving allowance. This is a LONG book with a LOT of information, so it’s best for a kid who loves to read and learn.
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
Show Me the Money: Big Questions About Finance by Alvin Hall
The book discusses economics, personal finance, etc., and includes illustrations and diagrams to help make it more interesting. There are some excellent life lessons to be learned in this book.
“The reason I like it so much is because Hall can be quite straightforward in his explanations, which makes it much easier for children to understand”- George Birrell CPA & Founder of TaxHub.
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
How to turn $100 into $1,000,000 – Earn, Save, Invest! by James McKenna
The ultimate kids’ guide to money: earning it, saving it, and investing it. Do your kids want to start saving money or have dreams of being a millionaire? This book will help them get started. Thanks to Patti Henry from Our Life on Fire for this recommendation!
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
No Coins Please by Gordon Korman
This hilarious book about a savvy entrepreneur is a great way to get your kids started on side hustles and on the right and wrong way to make money. This is a must-read for adults and kids alike! I love all Gordon Korman books; this one is one of the best!
Financial Freedom: Breaking the Chains to Independence and Creating Massive Wealth by Chase Lawson
This book is geared towards kids, teenagers, and young adults and deals with many basic personal finance concepts, such as compound interest, investing, renting vs. owning a home, budgeting, etc. This is a helpful playbook of sorts that can follow someone throughout various life stages and would be a great book to help get a kid started learning about finance and money.
Buy this book now on Bookshop!
Are you planning on buying any of these money books for kids or your preteens? Do you recommend any other great books about money for kids? Let me know, and I will add them to the list!
Robyn Goldfarb
Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.
Solid list to consider and find a gem for the kid you have in mind. Thanks!
Any thoughts on how some of the more direct books (like Chase Lawson’s on financial freedom) would be of interest to young adults rather than fiction that just so happens to teach good money lessons? I feel like it’s easier to “trick” non-interested parties into the valuable lessons of the latter type.
I think it depends on the kids. Some kids are not interested in these things at all so fiction is the way to go. If you have any fiction recs for that age I would be thrilled to hear them. However, many young adults love “nerding” out about these types of things and would enjoy reading about the nuts and bolts of the process. I know many young kids who would be thrilled to read a book like that- they enjoy accumulating knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Obviously, you would have to know the kid and what works for one would not work for others.
I think also that as adults we often have a complicated relationship with money so we sort of have a negative view on learning about the ins and outs of finance. Kids don’t have that kind of view. To them, it’s fascinating and inspiring. We find it stressful, they find it empowering.
This is a great list! I love that you included a lot of fiction books for the little ones to start learning from.
Also, Thank you for including my recommendation!
Looking forward to reading some of these books with our kids – Ages 2 and 4.
Hi, just FYI, looks like the Everything Kids Money Book is going to the wrong book on Amazon.
Nice list, thanks.
Thank you! It has been corrected!