It can be difficult to talk to kids about money. Learning to save money as a child is a difficult concept. But taking the time to teach children about the bigger picture, to set aside money for now so you’ll have it later, is not easy for all parents. Investing for Kids comes at that with a great angle. It teaches kids that they have an investment tool that adults don’t have—they have time on their side. This simple concept could turn a kid with no desire for a savings account into a kid who proudly sets aside some money to watch it grow by leaps and bounds in the future.

Authors Dylin Redling and Allison Tom start slowly, explaining a little about the history of money and why it’s important to save. They explain simple interest and compound interest, showing how the same amount of money can become different amounts over time. They use a lot of examples with real numbers (but fairly simple math) to show the differences in investing as a kid and investing as an adult, even if it’s just a simple savings account with compound interest.

From there, they move on to explanations of more complex investing options, including CDs, bonds, stocks, and even real estate and collectibles. While I’m not sure that kids need this much information on venture capitalists and angel investing, I thought the explanations regarding the stock market were really helpful. Getting an early understanding of mutual funds and recessions and a bear market add interesting layers, and the explanations of diversity are smart.

And while there are a lot of interesting sidebars on investors like Barbara Corcoran and William Buffett or famous collectibles and how much they sold for, it’s the book’s overall emphasis on understanding risk that is probably the most valuable thing about it. The authors use quizzes and exercises to help kids understand how risk tolerant or risk averse they are and how to balance their investments to maximize their money. There are ideas for earning more money and questions to make readers think about possible future goals.

Investing for Kids has a lot of great information to help kids get started earning, saving, and investing. Learning about money early can make a huge difference, not just for saving and investing, but also just to understand the usefulness of money and how best to make it work for you. It says it’s for kids 8-12, but older kids can also learn from these concepts and get started with some smart investing early on.

Egalleys for Investing for Kids were provided by Rockridge Press through the Callisto Media Publisher’s Club, with many thanks.