Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock

by Sheila Bair, Barry Gott (Illustrator)

Overview

2010 Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Master List (Kansas Reading Association)
2009 Association for Gerontology in Higher Education Book Award for Children's Literature on Aging for Primary Readers

Rock and Brock may be twins, but they are as different as two twins can be. One day, their grandpa offers them a plan—for ten straight weeks on Saturday he will give them each one dollar. But there is a catch! "Listen now, for here's the trick, each buck you save, I'll match it quick. But spend it, there’s no extra dough, so save your cash, and watch it grow." Rock is excited—there are all sorts of things he can buy for one dollar! So each week he spends his money on something different—an inflatable moose head, green hair goo, white peppermint wax fangs. But while Rock is spending his money, Brock is saving his. And each week when Rock gets just one dollar, Brock’s savings get matched. By the end of summer, Brock has five hundred and twelve dollars, while Rock has none. When Rock sees what his brother has saved, he realizes he has made a mistake. But Brock shows him that it is never too late to start saving.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807570951
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	03/21/2017
Series:	Money Tales
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	404,411
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Sheila Bair has had a long and distinguished career in finance, academia, and government. She is perhaps best known as the Chair of the FDIC during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, when she was twice named by Forbes Magazine as the second most powerful woman in the world. A lifelong advocate for strong financial regulation and consumer protections, she is the author of the New York Times bestseller Bull by the Horns, her memoir of the financial crisis, and is a frequent op-ed contributor and TV commentator, as well as author of several children's books on financial matters.

Barry Gott has illustrated numerous children's books as well as written and illustrated greeting cards.

Editorial Reviews

"Sheila Bair uses illustrations and fun stories to demystify finance for children and the adults who read to them."—AARP The Magazine

From the Publisher

Gr 3-5-Twin brothers are very different, especially in the way that they deal with money: Rock is a spender and Brock is a saver. Their grandfather hires them to do chores and then encourages them to save by matching the total amount of money that they have accumulated from their pay each week. Brock manages to amass $512 in 10 weeks, while Rock spends his money as soon as he earns it, purchasing a fanciful array of toys, gum, and yard-sale items, all of which are comically depicted in the bright cartoon illustrations. Ultimately, Brock uses his proceeds to buy a fancy telescope and some gifts for family members, generously putting his remaining $50 dollars into a joint savings account that he shares with his brother. Evidently Rock learned his lesson as the tale ends with the twins in their old age as millionaires. A section entitled "Do the Math" contains charts showing the cash accumulation and what would have happened if Brock had spent some money during the 10 weeks. An explanation of compound interest and advice about saving are included. While the rhyming text has some awkward passages, this picture book is a good way to examine the issue of saving vs. spending.-Erlene Bishop Killeen, Fox Prairie Elementary School, Stoughton, WI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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