What have you taught your child(ren) about money? It can be a hard topic for some. The other day I was having a conversation about how it is so different for this generation. When we were young, we used money. We got money. We earned money. We saved money. We spent money. These days almost everything is purchased with plastic. We order online and use a credit card. Most people pay with credit card just about everywhere. I know I often don't have that much cash on me. Our credit world is teaching kids a different lesson than we learned, and they may not truly understand that we have to pay for the purchases when the credit card bill comes. Today I am going to share a fun graphic novel style book for kids that helps teach about money. It is The Golden Quest by David Delisle and illustrated by Travis Hanson.
From the Publisher:
The Golden Quest: Your Journey to a Rich LifeWritten by David Delisle and Illustrated by Travis Hanson
Ages 5-18 | 108 Pages | Publisher: David Delisle | ISBN-13: 9781777718909
Publisher’s Synopsis: The Golden Quest is an illustrated adventure about a young boy who embarks on a Hero’s Journey with his dog Shelby to discover the Golden Rules of Money. Along the way, he encounters a dragon, flies on an airship, spots an elusive stone whale, saves an alien, and learns the secret to living a rich life.
The lessons taught are universal and will help children of all ages, from 5 to 95, achieve financial freedom through Money Mindfulness. And don’t worry, there’s no math, budgeting, or complicated charts. Your journey has just begun…
About the Author:
David Delisle is the author of The Golden Quest, a graphic novel that teaches kids about money based on the simple idea of “only buying the awesome stuff” and creating the freedom for what’s most important to YOU. His goal is to teach an entire generation of kids how to live a rich life and he’d love to have you join him in this journey.
You can learn more and order the book at,
- www.theawesomestuff.com.
- https://www.facebook.com/OnlyBuyTheAwesomeStuff/
- https://twitter.com/rulesofmoney
From Me:
Everyone needs to understand money matters. This book does a lovely job of sharing some important lessons. Now the idea of sending a tween/teenager on a quest is a bit much for this mom, but I know kids will love the idea. The name and age of the child sent on the quest are not shared, so it can work for any age and really any gender. The quest consists of five stops. Each stop has a lesson to learn. The lessons are what we want our own kids to know and perhaps ourselves. The lessons are: only buy the important things; put money aside for savings before spending; gain interest or invest the money; help others; and happiness comes from enjoying what you already have. Of course, the quest is much more fun than having an adult tell you these things. After all the child meets a dragon, a talking tree, a professor, an alien and others.
The book is fun. It is interesting and will grab the attention of different age kids. The pictures are wonderful, and the fact that it is a graphic novel will appeal to many kids. The book is one that kids will enjoy reading and will learn from as they read it and reread it. It is a wonderful introduction to handling money. In a time when kids want every new thing it is perfectly written. I know as a mom I have watched my child want things and then when told to spend her own money she doesn't want them quite as much. Honestly, in the fall I will be teaching a high school consumer math class and am considering buying a copy of this book to have in my classroom. It is the perfect introduction! It is done in a fun way! This is the perfect book to introduce money lessons!
Compound Interest Activities & Lessons
One of the ideas in The Golden Quest is having your money work for you while it is being saved. It talks a bit about compound interest. The math teacher in me went right to compound interest problems and lessons! (Plus, it is a topic I will be teaching next school year!) I wanted to provide you with some ideas on giving kids an idea of interest.
Now calculating compound interest will be too hard for younger kids, but it is taught in high school, usually in Algebra I or Algebra II or both. Ramsey Solutions does a good job of explaining it as well as ideas to teach about compound interest with different aged kids. I love the idea of introducing it with the challenge of $1 million today or $0.01 today and doubling it for 30 days. I made a worksheet for kids to figure out which is the better choice. I also love the game idea!! I could see the game working for all ages--give a piece of candy or marshmallow to everyone. In ten minutes give another piece to anyone who has not eaten their candy yet. Then in ten more minutes give 2 pieces to anyone who has not eaten theirs yet. This is a great way to illustrate the idea of interest.
Money Prodigy has some great explanations and activities for the younger kids! Most of her ideas include using a compound interest calculator on-line. Oregonians Credit Union has many lessons on money and life including this one on compound interest. I love that it shows the difference between simple interest and compound interest! Biz Kids has a great videos and lessons for kids including How to Make a Million Bucks and How to Turn $100 into $100,000,000 with lesson plans for middle school and high school.
There are so many different ideas for teaching about compound interest as well as money matters. This book is a great introduction. Be sure to check it out!
Giveaway:
Enter for a chance to win a copy of The Golden Quest!Four (4) winners receive:
- A copy of The Golden Quest: Your Journey to a Rich Life
