Grandpa’s Fortune Fables – Best Book – Special Commendation | The MAIAs 2022
Books are an excellent way for parents to teach kids a wide variety of topics. So why shouldn’t that include financial literacy?
The MAIA co-founder Trudi Harris Dubon agrees. She said, “Teaching people young helps to shape their lives and later behaviour, and that should include learning about money. For kids, books need to be entertaining and informative, and that’s where Grandpa’s Fortune Fables succeeds – and why it won enough support in the public vote of our Best Book category to win a special commendation.”
Before deciding to help parents explain finance to their kids, the author Will Rainey was an award-winning investment consultant. His website was judged the ‘Best Family Finance Blog 2021’ in the UK.
Will explains, “Children who learn about money grow up more confident, have higher self-esteem, and have fewer money worries as adults. But sadly, schools don’t teach kids about money, and many parents don’t know where to start. That was what prompted me to write Grandpa’s Fortune Fables.”
The book is aimed at children aged 7-13, but Will has found that a lot of parents and caregivers have also benefitted.
“Grandpa’s Fortune Fables helps kids, and their parents, learn about money and wealth using fun stories. Many parents have read this book with their kids and learned a lot about money and financial concepts as well. In addition, the book helps families start talking about money and break its taboo status,” Will says.
The story features a young 13-year-old girl called Gail who lives on a faraway island. One day, she makes a new friend and decides to share her grandpa’s stories about how he became very wealthy.
“The book uses the concept of money being like seeds, and their goal is to grow their own financial forest. As kids discover in the book, it’s those with a ‘Fortune Forest’ who are financially healthy and wealthy,” Will explains.
“The best part is that she not only shares what she has learned but what actions she is taking with her money. This is so important as it’s the actions they take, not just the knowledge they obtain, that determines their financial future.”
Grandpa’s Fortune Fables has proved popular with parents and children alike, and 98% of its Amazon (UK) reviews are 5 stars. However, its appeal has led to even larger purchases.
“I’m really pleased to say that people and companies are buying my book in bulk to give to schools and clients,” Will says.
When kids finish the book, the learning doesn’t end there, as they are invited to join the Fortune Club. This is a website where they can play games, solve clues from the book, and put all they have learned into action.
“The Fortune Club deepens and reinforces what the children learned from reading the book. They print Action Sheets, which are projects to complete, covering topics such as Rich vs Wealthy, Earning Money, Saving and Growing wealth, and Charity.”
These build on lessons learned throughout the book. Additionally, Will’s website has courses for parents and a blog that covers various finance-related topics.
MAIA co-founder Michael Gilmore said, “As an author who wrote a book to explain basic financial concepts to my own daughter, I obviously appreciate the power of the written word to get information across in a way that is easy to understand. Grandpa’s Fortune Fables does this in a way that is incredibly fun, yet informative.”
For more information, you can visit their website, or email us at michael@maiawards.org.
You can also see the rest of the top 8 books in our 2022 MAIAs here.