MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB

Parent reading guide for 

“A Bargain for Frances” 

by Russell Hoban

 Ages 6+

Consumer Financial

Protection Bureau
1 MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB | A Bargain for Frances

Welcome

This guide will help you teach your child money management 

skills while reading “A Bargain for Frances” by Russell Hoban. It 

will do this by:

 Helping you explain the key ideas covered in the book, and 

then providing you with signs your child understands the key 

ideas and can use them in daily life. 

 Giving you things to think about before reading the book 

with your child. These can help you spot key points in the 

book or spark ideas to discuss later.

Helping you prepare for an enjoyable reading time with 

your child.

 Providing questions to talk about with your child.

 Suggesting activities that help your child put ideas and 

lessons into action.

Parent reading guide | Ages 6+
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The story

Frances saves and saves for a china tea set. 

Her friend Thelma tricks her into buying an old 

plastic tea set. Thelma says there are no “backsies” 

on the bargain. Frances finds a way to get what 

she really wants.
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 Key ideas

By the time you finish this discussion guide, your child will be 

able to point to examples of these key ideas in the book you 

read and discuss real-life examples, too. Use these definitions to 

explain the ideas. We’ve also included ways children can show 

they are ready to use them in their daily lives.

1. Making decisions

Many times there are different ways to use money. Taking 

the time to ask questions, learn about different choices, and 

compare what’s good and bad about each one helps you reach 

good decisions.

How kids show it: They can look at a few choices and select one 

that will bring the best results.

2. Setting goals

A goal is something you want to do or to have. When you set 

a goal, you make a plan to reach it by a certain time. You then 

follow the plan until you succeed. Reaching a goal feels good. 

Celebrate your success and the successes of others.

How kids show it: They can follow a multi-step plan to reach a 

goal (with a little help and encouragement).
4 MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB | A Bargain for Frances

3. Staying true to yourself

Sometimes we might feel left out if we don’t have what other 

people have. Knowing what’s important to you and not comparing 

yourself to others can help you feel good about your decisions.

How kids show it: They can name one special thing they like 

about themselves and one thing that makes each family member 

special too. (Ages 7+) They can discuss why it’s okay that 

different people use their money for different things.

4. Flexibility

It’s important to learn from mistakes. We can change our plans 

and try something new if our first idea isn’t working.

How kids show it: They can talk about a time when their plans 

didn’t turn out how they wanted and what they did instead.
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 Something to think about

First, read the book yourself and think about these ideas:

§ Frances had a friend named Thelma. Thelma often tricked 

Frances when they played together. Like Frances’ mom, 

parents sometimes worry about their children getting the 

“worst of it” when they play with certain friends.

§ Frances had a plan for her allowance. She was saving this 

money to buy a china tea set. 

§ Thelma tricked Frances into giving up her goal of a china tea 

set. When Frances learned she had been tricked into buying 

the plastic tea set, she found a way to change the bargain she 

made with Thelma. Frances teaches Thelma it’s sometimes 

better to lose a bargain than to lose a friend.
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Before you read

Read the book first yourself. Knowing the story will help you know 

what comes next. It is important to ask your child questions about 

the story as you read. Ask what might happen next in the story.

§ Choose a quiet time for stories and make it part of your 

daily routine. 

§ Find a cozy, quiet place to read. 

§ Make sure your child can see the pictures. 

§ Talk about the pictures and characters in the book.

§ Read with expression in your voice. Give each character 

in the story his or her own voice. 

§ Keep the story time short enough to leave them wanting more.

§ Look for ways during the day to bring up the messages in 

the story.

§ Continue to read aloud together even if your child can 

read alone.
7 MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB | A Bargain for Frances

 Something to talk about

Before you begin to read the story with your child, look at the 

cover of the book together. Ask what the story might be about.

As you read the story with your child, talk about these ideas:

§ Why did Mother want Frances to be careful? 

§ What was Frances’ goal? 

§ How did Thelma get Frances to buy the plastic tea set? 

§ What problems did Frances need to solve? 

§ What decisions did Frances make to help her solve 

the problem?

§ What was more important to Frances than the tea set?
8 MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB | A Bargain for Frances

 Something to do

First time allowance Ages 5+

This activity will help your child understand goal setting with his 

or her savings. An allowance is one way to teach a child how to 

manage money, especially if it is paired with regular talks about 

how the money is used. Frances managed her money by saving 

it for a blue china tea set. Setting a savings goal and regularly 

putting aside a portion of an allowance over time helps teach 

children to save and manage their allowance better.

A good time to start an allowance is when children start 

asking for things in the store. You decide the right amount for 

your child. But discuss with your child how often to give the 

allowance, and stick to the plan. When you pay the allowance, 

ask your child how much should go toward the savings goal 

and how much should be used for spending, giving, or other 

purposes. This will help make savings a habit.

Picture a savings goal Ages 6+

This activity will teach your child to focus on a savings goal. 

Frances had a savings goal. She wanted a real china tea set 

with pictures of birds and a Chinese house. 

A picture of your child’s savings goal, close to the child’s piggy 

bank or penny jar, may help keep him or her focused.
9 MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB | A Bargain for Frances

Ask the child to cut out the picture or draw the thing he or she 

wants. Have the child tape the savings goal picture to the bank. 

This way a child remembers what the savings are for and feels a 

sense of accomplishment when the goal is reached.

Test the claims of a TV commercial Ages 8 +

This activity will help your child solve problems. Frances was 

tricked by Thelma’s advertising. Even though she had her 

mind set on a china tea set, Thelma convinced Frances to buy 

her plastic tea set. When children watch television they are 

tempted by commercials.

If your child is tempted by a toy, food, or other product 

advertised on television, find out more about it together. 

Examine the product together. Have the child answer these 

questions about it: 

§ Does it really do what they say on TV? 

§ Is it as much fun as it looks on TV? 

§ Is it right for the child’s age? 

§ Is it safe? 

§ Will it last?

Many times children will see that the item does not look like 

what they saw on television. Explain to your child that TV 

commercials use special words, music, and settings to make 

us want to buy. We can be disappointed if we buy something 

advertised without checking it out first.
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About this guide

The Money as You Grow Book Club is a research-based program 

designed to help parents, caregivers, and others teach children 

ages 4 through 10 money skills through reading, activities, and play. 

The Money as You Grow Book Club is an updated version of 

the University of Nevada Extension’s Money on the Bookshelf 

program. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), The 

University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Financial Security, 

and the University of Wisconsin-Extension Family Living Programs 

have worked together to expand the program and make it 

available to libraries, educators, and parents nationally. 

The CFPB is an independent federal agency. We write and 

enforce rules that keep banks and other financial companies 

operating fairly. We also help educate and empower 

consumers. For more about tools and resources for parents, visit 

consumerfinance.gov/MoneyAsYouGrow. 

The Center for Financial Security is a research center that seeks 

to help the public build financial knowledge and skills, increase 

access to financial services and increase the financial security 

of families. The University of Wisconsin-Extension is part of the 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Cooperative 

Extension System, which brings vital, practical information to 

agricultural producers, small business owners, consumers, 

families, and young people.
To learn more about the Money as You Grow Book 

Club, or download other parent reading guides, visit 

consumerfinance.gov/MoneyAsYouGrow.

MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB

Ask about these other Money as You Grow Book Club books and 

parent guides. ISBNs for paperback versions are included below:

Alexander, Who Used 

to be Rich Last Sunday

by Judith Viorst

ISBN # 0689711999

A Chair for My Mother 

by Vera Williams

ISBN # 0688040748

Just Shopping 

with Mom

by Mercer Mayer

ISBN # 0307119726

Ox-Cart Man

by Donald Hall

ISBN # 0140504419

Sheep in a Shop

by Nancy Shaw

ISBN # 0395706726

The Berenstain Bears & 

Mama's New Job

by Stan & Jan Berenstain

ISBN # 0394868811

The Berenstain Bears' 

Trouble with Money

by Stan & Jan Berenstain

ISBN # 0394859170

The Purse

by Kathy Caple

ISBN # 0395629810

July | 2016

Consumer Financial

Protection Bureau