Pigs Will be Pigs

Title: Pigs Will be Pigs
Author: Amy Axelrod

Illustrator: Sharon McGinley-Nally
Type: Fiction
Approximate Interest Level: 2-6
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Date of Publication: 2014
ISBN: 978-0689812194

Synopsis: 

The Pigs are hungry, but there's no food in the house.  They want to go to a local restaurant, but don't have enough money.  They begin searching the house, finding money in some of the strangest places.  They finally find enough money, and go out for a nice relaxing dinner only to return home to their disaster of a house.  The book contains a page at the end detailing the money they found, and challenging readers to figure out how much they spent at the restaurant.

Lesson Plan Link

Possible Teaching Points: 1) money

Lemonade in Winter

Title: Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money
Author: Emily Jenkins

Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Type: fiction
Approximate Interest Level: preK-2nd
Publisher: Random House

Date of Publication: 2012
ISBN: 978-0375858833

Synopsis: Pauline and her little brother, John John, set up a lemonade stand in the middle of winter.  The story details their antics as they try to sell their lemonade.  They use quarters to buy their supplies, and they charge quarters for their products.  As they spend and earn money, they keep track of how much they are making, and how many quarters there are in different amounts of money (ie. two quarters are fifty cents, six quarters are $1.50, etc.).

Lesson Plan Link

Possible Teaching Points: 1) American money, 2) quarters, 3) math, 4) supply and demand

Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock

Title: Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock
Author: Sheila Bair

Illustrator: Barry Gott
Type: Fiction
Approximate Interest Level: 3rd-6th
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company

Date of Publication: 2006
ISBN: 978-0807570944

Synopsis: Twin boys, Rock and Brock are as different as can be.  Their grandfather starts paying them to do chores on Saturday.  He tells them that for each dollar they save, he will match it.  Brock saves his money, while Rock spends his.  After ten weeks of chores, they compare what they have.  Rock learns his lesson, and the twins go on to become millionaires.  

The book includes the math that show how Brock's kept growing, as well as tips and suggestions to save money.

Lesson plan links

Possible Teaching Points: 1) economics, 2) money

Money Mama & the Three Little Pigs

Title: Money Mama & the Three Little Pigs
Author: Lori Mackey

Illustrator: Nicole Lomonaco and Icy Young
Type: Fiction
Approximate Interest Level: K-2nd
Publisher: Prosperity 4 Kids

Date of Publication: 2004
ISBN: 978-0974457024

Synopsis: Money Mama and the Giving Piggy, the Investment Piggy, and the Savings Piggy walk the reader, using kid-friendly text, through what it means to give, invest, and save your money.

Possible Teaching Points: 1) money management, 2) economics

Bunny Money

Title: Bunny Money
Author: Rosemary Wells
Illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Type: Fiction
Approximate Interest Level: K-2nd
Publisher: Puffin Books

Date of Publication: 2000
ISBN: 978-0-14-056750-2

Synopsis: Max and Ruby go shopping for a birthday present for grandma.  They end up spending their money on other things and don't have enough left to buy what they want for grandma.  Each time they spend money, there is a drawing of the money they are spending and what they have left.  The book also contains an activity making bunny money so that students can follow along as Max and Ruby spend their bunny money.  The money in the book is spent in whole dollar amounts (there are no coins involved).

Lesson plan link

Possible Teaching Points: 1) money, 2) budgeting

The Penny Pot

Title: The Penny Pot
Author: Stuart J. Murphy
Illustrator: Lynne Cravath
Type:  Fiction
Approximate Interest Level: 1st-3rd
Publisher: HarperCollins

Date of Publication: 1998
ISBN: 978-0064467179

Synopsis: Jessie wants to get her face painted at the fair, but she doesn't have enough money.  The face painter puts out a small pot for people to put in their extra pennies.  As children have their faces painted, they drop extra pennies in the pot.  The coins are drawn and counted on several different pages, and the book includes a page of suggestions on how to use the book with children.

Lesson plan link

Possible Teaching Points: 1) counting money (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters)