Savings Stories: 7 Books that Teach Children to Save
Teach Children to Save Day is observed on the fourth Thursday in April as part of Financial Literacy Month. This day encourages children to develop good savings habits while empowering them with essential financial knowledge early in life.
At Regional Missouri Bank, we are enthusiastic about financial literacy. Each year, during Teach Children to Save Day, we eagerly volunteer in the second-grade classes at local schools. Our initiative begins by providing cardboard piggy banks for creative decoration in classrooms. The winners from each class receive $10 to kickstart their savings journey—whether they choose to open a Greenback Jack Savings Account, a Greenback Jack Certificate of Deposit (CD), or add to an existing account. But our involvement does not stop there! We engage students through interactive sessions, where we read finance-focused books and have meaningful discussions about the importance of saving.
Additionally, we’ve curated a collection of seven children’s books that teach personal finance in a fun and practical way, sparking curiosity and imagination.
- The Berenstain Bears’ Trouble with Money by Stan Berenstain
- Mama and Papa are worried that Brother and Sister seem to think money grows on trees. To make money of their own, the cubs decide to start their very own businesses, from a lemonade stand to a pet-walking service.
- Mama and Papa are worried that Brother and Sister seem to think money grows on trees. To make money of their own, the cubs decide to start their very own businesses, from a lemonade stand to a pet-walking service.
- The Berenstain Bears’ Dollars and Sense by Stan and Jan Berenstain
- Brother and Sister Bear know some things about money. They know that money can be used to buy things like baseball cards, ice cream, candy, and balloons. What they don't know is how to manage their allowances. Then Mama comes up with a terrific idea to help them learn the value of money and how to save it -- a checkbook!
- Brother and Sister Bear know some things about money. They know that money can be used to buy things like baseball cards, ice cream, candy, and balloons. What they don't know is how to manage their allowances. Then Mama comes up with a terrific idea to help them learn the value of money and how to save it -- a checkbook!
- I am Money: Encourage Kids to Understand How Money Works by Julia Cook
- Encourage financial literacy in kids of all ages with this fun and engaging picture book from bestselling children's author Julia Cook and financial expert Garrett Gunderson! Who is better to teach kids about money than MONEY himself? As readers follow along in this delightful, easy-to-understand picture book, they will be introduced to the different forms money can take like cash and cards!
- Encourage financial literacy in kids of all ages with this fun and engaging picture book from bestselling children's author Julia Cook and financial expert Garrett Gunderson! Who is better to teach kids about money than MONEY himself? As readers follow along in this delightful, easy-to-understand picture book, they will be introduced to the different forms money can take like cash and cards!
- Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst
- Last Sunday, Alexander's grandparents gave him a dollar -- and he was rich. There were so many things that he could do with all that money! He could buy as much gum as he wanted, or even a walkie-talkie, if he saved enough. But somehow the money began to disappear...
- Last Sunday, Alexander's grandparents gave him a dollar -- and he was rich. There were so many things that he could do with all that money! He could buy as much gum as he wanted, or even a walkie-talkie, if he saved enough. But somehow the money began to disappear...
- Milton the Money Savvy Pup: Brings Home the Bacon by Jamie A. Bosse
- During our Teach Children to Save sessions, Regional Missouri Bank employees read this book to children at local schools. In this delightful story, Milton is learning to be smart with his money. Milton learns how to identify the coins in his piggy bank and their value. He knows that you must work to earn money, and quickly learns that sometimes you must wait to get what you really want. Should he buy a yummy dog bone with the money he has now or wait and save more to buy some scrumptious bacon? What will he choose?
- During our Teach Children to Save sessions, Regional Missouri Bank employees read this book to children at local schools. In this delightful story, Milton is learning to be smart with his money. Milton learns how to identify the coins in his piggy bank and their value. He knows that you must work to earn money, and quickly learns that sometimes you must wait to get what you really want. Should he buy a yummy dog bone with the money he has now or wait and save more to buy some scrumptious bacon? What will he choose?
- Milton the Money Savvy Pup: Makes Saving a Habit by Jamie A. Bosse
- Milton has a co-worker named Molly who does something cool with her paycheck. Instead of spending it right away, she splits up her earnings between what she will give, what she will save, and what she will spend. What will Milton do when he learns this new habit?
- Milton has a co-worker named Molly who does something cool with her paycheck. Instead of spending it right away, she splits up her earnings between what she will give, what she will save, and what she will spend. What will Milton do when he learns this new habit?
- Money, Money, Honey Bunny by Marilyn Sadler
- Honey Bunny has lots and lots and lots of money. Some she saves, some she spends on herself, and some she spends on her friends. In this delightful rhyming book about spending and saving, the bear gets a chair, the fly gets some pie and, of course, the fox gets some socks.
Join the Movement
Whether you are a parent, a guardian, a teacher, or a banker, you play a vital role in shaping young minds. Join us in celebrating Teach Children to Save Day on Thursday, April 25, 2024 – a day to ignite curiosity, spark conversations, and plant the seeds of financial wisdom.