Consumer Sense

Gr 4–7—Although these topics are critical to students' education, the matter-of-fact presentations do little to capture their interest. The writing is clear with just a few paragraphs per page. The layout is well organized with bright colors, captioned photographs, and additional facts in text boxes. Consumer Sense covers the basics of consumerism, including needs versus wants, consumer rights, and peer pressure. Currency discusses the history of currency, from the bartering system to present-day minting and printing of money. Managing Money is about earning and saving money, and how to spend wisely to create wealth. Money System includes information about the economy, banks, imports and exports, and investment funds. Managing Money has a quote from "Benjamin Franklin, former U. S. president"—a surprising error. Solid introductions, but don't expect students to engage with the material.