New Children’s Interactive Book Series Teaches Giving, Saving and Spending Wisely
Want to teach your children and grandchildren about the wise use of money in a fun and interactive way? In a new book series, Nana’s 3 Jars, by author and Claremore columnist Carol Round, young readers will learn how to give generously, save pennies and spend wisely through the sage advice of a grandmother.
“Although the first book in the series, Nana’s 3 Jars: Giving Generously, addresses all three money issues, the focus is on the most important,” says Ms. Round. “I believe that when we teach children at a young age to give generously, the rest falls into place.”
Using the same characters in all three books, the storyline focuses on siblings, Charlie and Emma, who love to visit their grandmother in the country. “Although grandchildren choose different names for their grandmothers, I chose Nana because that is how I am known to my three grandchildren,” she adds.
Whatever a child chooses to call a female grandparent doesn’t matter because the lesson is the same. It’s about old-fashioned values when it comes to money.
Each book is interactive, meaning the child reads, or is read to by an adult, the story of Charlie and Emma and the money lesson they learn at Nana’s house. Through the use of three jars on Nana’s kitchen cabinet, readers learn the importance of giving, saving and spending. Each story reinforces a money concept through a shared activity.
In the first book, Charlie and Emma make chocolate chip cookies and share them at a local veteran’s center. “The recipe in the back of Giving Generously is an original one loaned to me by a friend,” Ms. Round adds. “If a veteran center is not available, children can share their cookies at a local nursing home or assisted living center. That’s what I do with my grandchildren and they always enjoy visiting with the residents.”
The second book in the series addresses Saving Pennies. Charlie and Emma visit a Farmers Market with Nana where they purchase apples and return home to make their own applesauce using a simple recipe found at the back of the book. “Again,” says Ms. Round, “children are taught how to save money using an interactive lesson to reinforce the concept.”
The final book in the series, Spending Wisely, teaches children that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to buy a nice gift for someone. “I think this is particularly appropriate at Christmas time,” the author adds. “In this final book, Charlie learns another lesson from his Nana when she teaches him how to make a simple, but nice gift for his third grade teacher.”
Another recipe is also included in the back of the third book.
Each book also includes three labels—giving, saving and spending—to cut out and paste on your own Mason jars to encourage and reinforce the lessons learned in Nana’s 3 Jars.
“Books always make wonderful Christmas gifts,” the author says. “I don’t think there’s another gift that has more lasting value than one that will continue to give and teach through many generations to come.”
For more information, or to order the books in this series, go to the author’s website at www.carolaround.com.