Rich Dad's Escape from the Rat Race: How to Become a Rich Kid by Following Rich Dad's Advice
Grade 3 Up–The authors of the bestsellingRich Dad, Poor Dadattempt to teach financial intelligence to children through colorful cartoon images and cute animal characters. However, the lessons are more suitable for high school students. The authors tell readers to minimize their liabilities such as credit-card debt while building assets, such as starting their own businesses. Examples of the latter include charging classmates to read their comic books or for borrowing their bicycles. The lessons encourage "financial intelligence," but seem to discourage readers from getting a traditional job and fail to mention the hard work and long hours involved in running one's own business. Keltie Thomas'sThe Kids Guide to Money Cent$(Kids Can, 2004) and Jamie Kyle McGillian'sThe Kids' Money Book(Sterling, 2003) offer far better advice.–Karen T. Bilton, Somerset County Library, Bridgewater, NJ