Children's Literature- Nancy Loewen
Click on any picture of a book to open a new external window with the Amazon.com listing of that book.
Title: Cash, Credit Cards, or Checks-A Book About Payment Methods
Author: Nancy Loewen
Illustrator: Brad Fitzpatrick
Publication: 2005 Picture Window Books
ISBN #: 9781404809512
Theme: Spending Money
Recommended for Grade Levels: 1 through 3+
Assessment Rating: 4-Good
Assessment:
In this book the author talks about different payment methods such as cash, credit cards, or checks. She explains each concept through the story of one father’s back to school shopping trip with his son and daughter. Throughout their shopping day the father is presented with scenarios in which he needs to exercise each method. Loewen includes a sidebar piggy bank with fun facts full of useful information. This is a great book for early grades to introduce them to an economics unit. It could also be used in upper grades to address the different payment methods because we have not found may books the introduce those concepts within our book search project.
In this book the author talks about different payment methods such as cash, credit cards, or checks. She explains each concept through the story of one father’s back to school shopping trip with his son and daughter. Throughout their shopping day the father is presented with scenarios in which he needs to exercise each method. Loewen includes a sidebar piggy bank with fun facts full of useful information. This is a great book for early grades to introduce them to an economics unit. It could also be used in upper grades to address the different payment methods because we have not found may books the introduce those concepts within our book search project.
Title: Let’s Trade, A Book About Bartering
Author: Nancy Loewen
Illustrator: Brian Jensen
Publication: 2006, Picture Window Books
ISBN #: 9781404811577
Theme: Bartering
Recommended for Grade Levels: 1 through 3
Assessment Ranking: 4-Good
Assessment:
Another Nancy Loewen book which address the subject of bartering. It highlights the fact that if money is not available trading a good or service is an alternative that should be explored. It also highlights that students and adults barter all the time (e.g., trading sandwiches at lunch, trading baseball cards, when parents take turns driving kids to soccer games). The illustrations in the book are very good and there are call-outs on a number of the pages which provide small vignettes of information (e.g., discusses how the fairy tale “Jack in the Beanstalk” has bartering in it; provides fun fact such as the first forms of money were animals and grain). The key take-away in the book shows that in a successful trade, everyone gets what they want and/or need. This is a great book for early grades to introduce them into an economics unit.
Another Nancy Loewen book which address the subject of bartering. It highlights the fact that if money is not available trading a good or service is an alternative that should be explored. It also highlights that students and adults barter all the time (e.g., trading sandwiches at lunch, trading baseball cards, when parents take turns driving kids to soccer games). The illustrations in the book are very good and there are call-outs on a number of the pages which provide small vignettes of information (e.g., discusses how the fairy tale “Jack in the Beanstalk” has bartering in it; provides fun fact such as the first forms of money were animals and grain). The key take-away in the book shows that in a successful trade, everyone gets what they want and/or need. This is a great book for early grades to introduce them into an economics unit.
Title: Save, Spend, or Donate? A Book About Money Management
Author: Nancy Loewen
Illustrator: Brian Jensen
Publication: 2005 Picture Window Books
ISBN #: 140480952X
Theme: Managing Money
Recommended for Grade Levels: 1 through 3
Assessment Rating: 5-Excellent
Assessment:
This book addresses the subject about money management. It highlights the importance of how to manage hard earned money (e.g. chores and allowances). This book address saving money for the future or for something you really want. It shows appropriate scenarios of when to spend money (e.g. saving up money to buy a new video game while putting a percentage in a savings account). This book also introduces the concept of donating money (e.g. finding a charity or worth while cause). Loewen includes a sidebar piggy bank with fun facts full of useful information. This is a great book for early grades to introduce them to an economics unit. We particularly like the fact that the concept of donation is so prominent in this book.
This book addresses the subject about money management. It highlights the importance of how to manage hard earned money (e.g. chores and allowances). This book address saving money for the future or for something you really want. It shows appropriate scenarios of when to spend money (e.g. saving up money to buy a new video game while putting a percentage in a savings account). This book also introduces the concept of donating money (e.g. finding a charity or worth while cause). Loewen includes a sidebar piggy bank with fun facts full of useful information. This is a great book for early grades to introduce them to an economics unit. We particularly like the fact that the concept of donation is so prominent in this book.
Title: That Costs Two Shells-The History of Money
Author: Nancy Loewen
Illustrator: Brian Jensen
Publication: 2006 Picture Window Books
ISBN #: 1404811591
Theme: Money Knowledge
Recommended for Grade Levels: 1 through 3
Assessment Rating: 4-Good
Assessment:
This book explains the history of money via the character of a young boy named Scott. Scott attends an after school program at his library entitled “That Costs Two Shells”. The after school program walks Scott and the reader through the history of money by starting with the concept of trade. The program explains how people used things such as food, animal skins, and tools for things they needed. And slowly over time people began to add value to these things. Scott also learns when coins came about and how money is constantly changing. Loewen includes a sidebar piggy bank with fun facts full of useful information. This is a great book for early grades to introduce them to an economics unit.
This book explains the history of money via the character of a young boy named Scott. Scott attends an after school program at his library entitled “That Costs Two Shells”. The after school program walks Scott and the reader through the history of money by starting with the concept of trade. The program explains how people used things such as food, animal skins, and tools for things they needed. And slowly over time people began to add value to these things. Scott also learns when coins came about and how money is constantly changing. Loewen includes a sidebar piggy bank with fun facts full of useful information. This is a great book for early grades to introduce them to an economics unit.
Title: Ups and Downs, A Book About the Stock Market
Author: Nancy Loewen
Illustrator: Brad Fitzpatrick
Publication: 2005, Picture Window Books
ISBN #: 1404809546
Theme: Stock Market
Recommended for Grade Levels: 1 through 3 or 4
Assessment Rating: 4-Good
Assessment:
This book explains the concept of stocks in a company via the characters of Uncle Bill and Shannon who received a share of “Taco Bill” stock as a birthday present. The story explains how stock prices fluctuate, the various exchanges, and the concept mutual funds. These are all difficult concepts but the author does a great job in translating them into terms understandable by an elementary school student. The book also provides some “fun facts”, a glossary of terms, and shows how to read a stock listing. The author really excels at taking complex information and translating it into understandable terms for students. It would be great a great accompaniment to a unit on economics where the class is tracking some companies and their stocks over the course of the school year.
This book explains the concept of stocks in a company via the characters of Uncle Bill and Shannon who received a share of “Taco Bill” stock as a birthday present. The story explains how stock prices fluctuate, the various exchanges, and the concept mutual funds. These are all difficult concepts but the author does a great job in translating them into terms understandable by an elementary school student. The book also provides some “fun facts”, a glossary of terms, and shows how to read a stock listing. The author really excels at taking complex information and translating it into understandable terms for students. It would be great a great accompaniment to a unit on economics where the class is tracking some companies and their stocks over the course of the school year.
