Literature Resources
The Penny Pot. By Stuart J. Murphy. Illus. by Lynne Cravath. 1998. 33 p. Harper Collins, (0-06-0446717). Gr. 1-3.
At the school fair, Jessie would like to have her face painted for 50 cents, but she only has 39 cents. She waits for other boys and girls to deposit their extra change in the "penny pot," so that she can gather the amount of money needed to get her face painted.
You Can't Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime. By Harriet Ziefert. Illus. by Amanda Haley. 2011. 32 p. Blue Apple Books, (978-160905464). Gr. 1-3.
Pete uses his coins to purchase a dinosaur, but when he gets home he is saddened that he has used up all of his savings. He starts doing chores and earning an allowance. This book provides a simple introduction to adding and subtracting small amounts of money.
Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday. By Judith Viorst. Illus. by Ray Cruz. 1987. 32 p. Silver Burdett. (0689711999). Gr. 1-3.
When Alexander's grandparents give him a dollar, he feels rich as he considers all of the things that he could purchase, but somehow, the money starts to disappear. This book reinforces the value of a dollar as well as the importance of saving money.
The Coin Counting Book. By Rozanne Lanczak Williams. 2001. 32 p. Charlesbridge Publishers, (978-0881063264). Gr. 1-2.
Simple rhymes and large photographs instruct readers regarding coin denominations and values. The text begins with an introduction to pennies and soon adds nickels and dimes, quarters, and half dollars to show how larger denominations take form. Coins are arranged in sets with visual equations illustrating their mathematical equivalents.
Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money. By Emily Jenkins. Illus. by G. Brian Karas. 2012. 40 p. Schwartz & Wade Books, (0375858830). Gr. 1-3.
On a cold winter day, Pauline and her younger brother decide to create a lemonade stand. Gathering all of their quarters, they buy their supplies and make lemonade, limeade, and lemon-limeade. On their mostly empty street with snow falling, they try to attract customers to earn back the money that they spent on supplies. This book inspires entrepreneurship and persistence while reinforcing coin value.
Pigs Will Be Pigs: Fun With Math and Money. By Amy Axelrod. Illus. by Sharon McGinley-Nally. 1997. 40 p. Aladdin Books, (0689812191). Gr. 1-3.
A hungry family of pigs searches the house for extra change. The pigs are determined to find enough money to purchase food at the store. On their money hunt, the pigs find nickels, pennies, dimes, and quarters, as the reader helps calculate the sum of their findings.
A hungry family of pigs searches the house for extra change. The pigs are determined to find enough money to purchase food at the store. On their money hunt, the pigs find nickels, pennies, dimes, and quarters, as the reader helps calculate the sum of their findings.