MONEY SMART KIDS Fun Financial Lessons by Janet Bodnar
It's tough to write a financial book that's both educational and entertaining. It's even tougher to write such a book for kids. The same goes for creating games, videos and computer software. This week and next I'm going to review some noteworthy products that rise to the challenge of teaching kids about money without confusing them -- or boring them to death.
In the games category, Mr. Bigshot comes up a winner ($24.95 for the board game, $19.95 for the CD-ROM; suitable for high-school students). Like the popular "You Don't Know Jack" trivia series, the computer version of this stock-picking game features snappy graphics and music and a wisecracking announcer ("Hey, where'd your money go?"). Players can choose between two real companies -- disguised here as "Big" and "Shot" -- and follow their fortunes, deciding whether to hold or sell.
In a painless educational twist, Mr. Bigshot gives real data -- such as price-earnings ratios, earnings per share and ratings from Value Line and Moody's -- for the two companies, whose identities are revealed after the round.
For a book selection, consider the latest in the popular Fudge series by Judy Blume, Double Fudge (Dutton, $15.99; suitable for middle schoolers). It features a financial subplot in which 5-year-old Fudge becomes obsessed with money. (For Halloween he dresses as a miser, in white shirt, red suspenders and a money tie bought at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.)
Older brother Peter is disgusted, but Fudge's mom, to her credit, keeps her cool. Mom does wonder, however, how greed crept into the family. "We never talk about money in front of the children," she says. "Maybe that's the problem," says Peter.
Don't be deceived by what looks like a picture book. Stock Market Pie, by J.M. Seymour (DynaMinds Publishing, $19.95), is a good primer for middle-school kids. Ten-year-old Emily is disappointed when her grandmother gives her a stock certificate for her birthday, so Grandma uses a pie metaphor to explain the stock market ("Everyone can get a piece"). Short takes on the market -- how to spot a good company, how to buy a stock -- are sprinkled throughout the story, and there's a glossary of investing terms.
GETTING STARTED
