Margin Notes

Making Bank: Money Skills for Real Life by Shannon Lee Simmons asks an important question: What should teenagers do with money? David, Tania, Mia, and Oliver are fictional teenagers with diverse financial situations. David gets a bit of cash from neighbourhood side hustles. Tania is working part-time saving up for college. Mia blows through her allowance shopping. Oliver is wealthy but has a dad who is strict about money.

Shannon Lee Simmons has written four individual stories about how she would help these kids learn about money and be more responsible. The book starts simple with tips on tracking how much money you have before leveling up to spending, saving, and more. The stories alternate chapters so the characters progress together, with additional lessons and challenges called “Nitty Gritty” and “Homework” fit in between. There are also visuals such as graphs and charts found throughout the book. Lee Simmons, a Certified Financial Planner, gives teenagers a guide for learning what to do with their money and preparing for their financial future.

Currently, the information in the book doesn’t really apply much to me, but maybe I’ll just find it useful when I have more money to manage. The characters were quite realistic, especially Tania, where her story of saving for college was interesting, useful, and possibly relatable a little down the road. There are some useful tips and tricks on investing, saving, banking, and budgeting. One tip was opening multiple bank accounts for saving, spending, and one with interest, which is something I will actually do.

I would recommend this book to anyone close to my age or slightly younger who wants to learn about spending and saving wisely. It’s not really about making money, so don’t get misled by the title. If you recently found yourself with some money and don’t know how to use it, this book will be useful, especially if you relate to the characters. If you enjoy it, you could also try her books for adults when you’re older: Worry-Free Money, Living Debt-Free, and No-Regret Decisions.

Thomas Davies Hall was born shortly after his family moved east to Fredericton and just after the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Thomas’s parents got him and his two brothers reading young. He built up to reading longer and more complex books as he got older. Around middle school, he started to read less, busy with sports (mostly involving a racquet) and hanging out with friends. Recently, Thomas has regained some love for reading and writing. He now reads and writes in and out of school, currently smack in the middle of “Crime and Punishment”. Good book.

Thomas has been quite successful in school, winning academic and athletics awards and making lots of friends too. He’s seen how a good teacher can make a difference, and he aspires to make that difference himself. Who knows, maybe he’ll teach English.