Looking for more details? Visit the Reading Makes Cents VA529 website here: www.readingmakescents.com
Ella Earns Her Own Money
By Lisa Bullard
Illustrated by Mike Moran
2014 – Millibrook Press
Ella wants a soccer ball, but she doesn’t have enough money to buy one. She decides to earn her own money by cleaning the car for her mom, bathing the neighbor’s dog, and selling bracelets to her friends. Keeping a total of her earnings (and spending) adds excitement as Ella works to reach her savings goal.
Word Count: 831
Reading Level: 3.3
Interest Level: K-3
Economics Concepts:
Wants
Savings Goals
Jobs
Spending
Goods & Services
Opportunity Cost
Giving
Productive Resources
Click Here to Download the Lesson Plan
Spend It!
By Cinders McLeod
2019- Penguin
Sonny gets three whole carrots a week for his allowance and wants to buy everything with it! But he soon discovers his money won’t go that far, and his mom tells him he needs to make some choices. That doesn’t sound like much fun to Sonny, but eventually, after a little math and a little more thinking, he discovers what’s really important to him and worth spending his carrots on.
Reading Level: 2.0
Interest Level: P-2
Economics Concepts:
Choices
Decision-Making
Money
Spending
Savings
Click Here to Download the Lesson Plan
John Deere, That’s Who!
By Tracy Nelson Maurer
Illustrated by Tim Zeltner
2017 – Henry Holt & Company
This story describes the life and accomplishments of the blacksmith who invented the steel plow to help till the thick Illinois soil and changed American farming forever.
Word Count: 831
Reading Level: 3.3
Interest Level: K-3
Economics Concepts:
Wants
Savings Goals
Jobs
Spending
Goods & Services
Opportunity Cost
Giving
Productive Resources
Click Here to Download the Lesson Plan
Virginia Elementary School Librarians and Teachers:
To learn more about the Reading Makes Cents program including how your school can get a set of these three books and a ton of resources and support, click here.
Each year the Virginia Council on Economic Education provides comprehensive online resources customized to the three featured books in order to help solidify the concepts and further engage students.
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- Click here for the 2018-19 lesson plans and activities.
- Click here for the 2017-18 lesson plans and activities.
- Click here for the 2016-17 lesson plans and activities.