Dollars to Doughnuts: Birthday Bling (#1 Spending & Credit) by Catherine R. Daly, illustrated by Genevieve Kote. Kane Press, 2024. 9781662670527
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5+
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Realistic fiction
What did you like about the book? This fictional story will teach children about spending and credit. Friends Lucy and Julian find some money on the ground walking to school one day. They can’t find the owner and a nearby adult tells them to keep it. As the two walk and talk about saving or spending the $10, they spot the new girl at school, Avery, up ahead. Everyone says that Avery is stuck up and spoiled rotten, so they try (and fail) to avoid her. Avery has a new sparkly sweater that Lucy admires. Avery says she bought the sweater at a trendy store and used her credit card. Julian and Lucy are surprised that someone their age has a credit card; Julian thought those were just for grown ups.
Lucy is given a gift card for her 10th birthday. When she tries to use it at the store Avery told her about for the sparkly sweater, she is asked how she’s going to pay for the rest of the price. Lucy is confused, she thought it was a credit card and doesn’t understand the difference between a gift card and a credit card. When the teenage babysitter comes to watch her sister later, Lucy takes the opportunity to ask about the cards. The babysitter breaks down credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards for Lucy and Julian and uses visual aids to help it all make sense. She also takes the time to explain about the interest on credit cards, which can make things cost more in the long run.
Julian has a great idea to help Lucy get the sweater she wants, by buying a Blingantor and a plain sweater and then putting the sparkles on herself. Lucy likes the idea as it will allow her to personalize things and she can use it multiple times, so it’s really worth the money. She buys the machine and personalizes a jersey she already has, the jersey being more her style anyway.
When Avery sees the jersey Lucy has she gushes over it and offers to pay her to make matching shirts for herself and her cousins! They all begin to chat and learn that they have common interests As Avery is treating them to ice cream Lucy is able to tell her that what Avery has is a debit card, not a credit card (and the teller confirms this for them), so they all learn important information about money and spending.
It’s an interesting story for kids that gives them information while keeping it all interesting and relevant to them. The black and white illustrations also keep the kids attentive and show a couple of the cards for visual reference. A really great book, I’m looking forward to the next one in the series.
Anything you didn’t like about it? Not at all, it was great!
To whom would you recommend this book? Children ages 7-12
Who should buy this book? Middle schools, elementary schools, and public libraries.
Where would you shelve it? jFiction Daly, early chapter books
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes!
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Vicky Tandy, Athol Public Library, Athol, MA
Date of review: February 21, 2024
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