Start Saving, Henry!
Kindergarten-Grade 2—Henry, a seven-year-old mouse, receives a weekly allowance of $5 for helping around the house. He spends it on toys, snacks, and fun. When he sees a $30 Super Robot Dude and really, really wants it, Mom suggests that he could save his money for it. Henry saves some, and spends some, and when he's almost at his goal, he uses most of his earnings to buy a birthday present for his mother. The cheery illustrations show a busy family of gray mice with deep-pink ears. Henry's spending and saving are highlighted in a "flow chart" at the tops of the pages with six places for $5 bills (filled in or empty depending on how rich Henry is at the moment) and a Super Robot Dude. Finally, when he has almost all of the necessary cash, Grandma comes to visit—bearing a Super Robot Dude. This is not necessarily the message one wants to give young readers. Learning to save money and to postpone gratification doesn't mean that you will get what you want another way and still have all that saved money, even though Henry does use it to buy ice cream for a family treat. However, this simply told story is an acceptable choice as a basic introduction to money management.—Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York CityEND