With the ongoing election in the USA, the impact that COVID is having on the UK economy, BREXIT and the fact my kids seem to think we have an invisible money forest growing in our postage stamp of a garden, there have been lots of questions about politics, the economy and money recently. These books have been brilliant, therefore, in helping me answer quite complex questions in a way that the children can easily understand.
Aimed at middle grade/UK Key Stage 2 (and above) age ranges, each book is crammed with info and presented in an interesting and appealing way to capture readers’ attention. What I particularly like is the final chapter in each one, which covers ‘big questions’, such as the impact of media on politics, immigration, freedom of speech, whether inequality is a bad or necessary thing and whether money can buy happiness. In these chapters, the books don’t present answers or solutions, it’s more about providing the left and right of arc of the subject to enable readers to discuss and decide where they sit on the issue. There’s also a page on how to negotiate in the Money book, which I clearly don’t need to cover with my kids as they have the skill down to a fine art ?! The books would sit equally well in a school library as on a home bookshelf, and – dare I say it – might even teach some current governments a thing or too!
