Investing books for kids and teens is one of the best gateways to financial literacy and money management. They can cover countless different lessons in a fun and engaging way, and are an excellent way to spark conversations about money.
But finding good investment books for your young ones might prove challenging as there are countless titles on the market. To help narrow down your selection process, we’ve picked popular titles recommended by those in the financial industry. So let’s get into it.
What Are Investing Books for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults?
Investing books for kids, teens, and young adults come in many different forms and can be both fiction and nonfiction novels. Some of the topics most books cover include:
- The power of investing
- Money management
- Financial literacy
- Why saving is important and how to do it
- Measuring risk
To help you narrow down your selection, we’ve divided the titles into books for kids and for teens. Of course, just because they’re targeted at a younger crowd doesn’t mean that there’s not something in them for adults. After all, you can never know too much about investing and preparing your children for a better financial future.
And when you want to practice the lessons learned in those books, you should turn to investing apps like BusyKid. Through daily activities, kids can better understand money management and investments, all while their parents are overseeing their spending and allowance.
In addition to the app, another tool in your financial toolbox is the BusyKid Visa® Prepaid Spend Debit Card. It can help give your kids independence and freedom to use money while learning its value. But more on that a bit later.
Investing Books for Kids
First, we have books aimed at younger readers, who can be anywhere between the ages of four and twelve. Let’s break them all down.
One Cent, Two Cents, Old Cent, New Cent: All About Money by Bonnie Worth
One Cent, Two Cents, Old Cent, New Cent is for kids between the ages of 4 and 7, and it’s part of the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library series. It explains the study of money and its history, starting with the bartering system and the various forms of money that people have used. The book also examines banking, paying interest, and how coins are minted.
Growing Money: A Complete Investing Guide for Kids by Gail Karlitz and Debbie Honig
Growing Money is intended to be read by kids between 6 and 11. In this book, which has 144 pages, Gail Karlitz and Debbie Honig talk about mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and savings accounts in kid-friendly terms. At the end of the book, the authors also included sheets to set up the Investment Game to help your little ones implement what they’ve learned so far.
Investing for Kids: How to Save, Invest and Grow Money by Dylin Redling and Allison Tom
Coming out at 142, Investing for Kids: How to Save, Invest and Grow Money is aimed at kids between the ages of 8 and 12. The book covers essential information about stocks and bonds and how to invest in them. Also, there are chapters that talk about the concepts of risk and reward, diversifying a portfolio, and making money grow.
Money Ninja: A Children’s Book About Saving, Investing, and Donating by Mary Nhin
If you’re looking for a series of books to start with your kids, you can look into the Ninja Life Hack books, which are geared toward kids 3–11. They’re all short, including the Money Ninja, which only has 27 pages but features pint-size characters in comedic books. In this book, your little ones can learn money-savvy skills, as well as learn about delayed gratification in a lighthearted and engaging way.
Investing Books for Teens
If your older kids are showing an interest in investing, here are some books to consider to help them further their financial education.
Heads Up Money by DK
A book aimed at both teens and kids, The Heads Up Money is an installment in the Heads Up series by DK. Some of the questions this book answers in its 160 pages are Can money buy happiness? Does money make the world go around? What would happen if banks just decided to print more money? Using real-life scenarios, your children can learn about free trade, financial crises, supply and demand, and much more.
The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens by David Gardner and Tom Gardner
With a spread of 256 pages, The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens is geared toward those between the ages of 13 and 17. The book promises to help teenagers avoid spending and saving pitfalls while building a portfolio and learning about investing. What’s more, it teaches teens about financial independence through lessons on saving, managing money, and identifying up-and-coming companies.
O.M.G. Official Money Guide for Teenagers by Susan P. Beacham and Michael L. Beacham
In only 48 pages, the Official Money Guide for Teenagers features graphs, charts, and essential tips that will help you have the money conversation. Not only that, but its goal is to help teenagers avoid awkward money moments in a manner that’s easily accessible for them. From the ages of 10 to 18, kids can use these pages to understand good financial habits that they will carry with them forever.
The Teenage Investor: How to Start Early, Invest Often & Build Wealth by Timothy Olsen
A book written for teens by a teen, Timothy Olsen published The Teenage Investor at the age of 13. He did so in an effort to help his peers and their parents understand more about investing and building wealth. It’s geared toward first-time investors and touches on methods for creating a solid investment portfolio at any age.
Why Is It Important to Teach Kids About Investing?
Beyond only saving money for the future, investing for kids has many other benefits that parents might overlook. First off, we have financial literacy, which is a key component in any child’s or young adult’s life. It’s something that will follow them for the rest of their lives and can help them avoid many pitfalls in the future.
Learning to invest early on in life will also teach saving habits and patience, both of which are invaluable skills. And starting early allows kids to take advantage of compound returns, which can yield big rewards over time.
How to Teach Kids About Investing
In addition to investing books for kids, there are other methods to consider when trying to get your kids excited about investments, mutual funds, and savings accounts.
Apps
Many parents struggle to get their kids interested in investing, and given how the topic of investing can be dry sometimes, we understand why. But that’s where BusyKid and the BusyKid Visa® Prepaid Spend Debit Card come in.
The app is for learning and the card is for fun!
The BusyKid app/card combo will get your children interested in investing in an easy and engaging way. Countless financial lessons will be at the palms of their hands.
With the app, kids can earn money by completing chores and they can save money each week automatically. They can also take their pick of charities to donate to and invest their earnings to see them grow.
With the card, kids can have spending freedom, while eliminating the need for having cash on hand. It’s simple and convenient for children and parents, and completely secure. What’s more, the BusyKid Spend Card is backed by Visa® Zero liability policy, and it can be locked temporarily if it’s misplaced. But if it gets lost, you can start the replacement process with a press of a button.
Games
You can also consider investing games, which can help break down financial lessons for kids in a fun way. Now, depending on your kids’ age, there will be many games out there to try.
In the Stock Market game, kids can gain a fundamental understanding of investing in real-world scenarios. Also, the game promises to help young children develop solid money habits and prepare them for their future.
Kids in middle or high school have the option of playing How the Market Works. The game gives kids $100,000 of virtual money, which they can use to practice trading stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds. Parents and teachers can also create their own custom stock market contests to encourage financial literacy.
To Sum Up: Investing Books for Kids
Investing books for kids, and books in general, are an incredible way to break down complex topics for kids. They tend to speak in a language that children can understand without sounding condescending or convoluted.
So if your little ones love bedtime stories, maybe try reading them one or two books from this list. And if your teens are bookworms who want to get into investing but don’t know how, one of the books we mentioned could be a good fit.
To help your kids practice what they read, download BusyKid and get the Spend Card today! The app is available on both the App Store and the Google Play Store and investing in your kids’ future has never been easier than it is now!
