Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday

Great book, I use it in my 6th grade math class to teach how to write money stores.

Purchased this to read to a class to kick off a budgeting unit. Lacks color and too wordy for my needs. Returned it!

I just read this book for the first time to my 7 year old son. We recently re-read the original Alexander tale and he wanted to find the others in the "series" that he saw on the back cover. For my part, I have been searching for books that teach children about money, so this was great fun to read together.

This book illustrates the difficulties that children have in saving money. There are so many temptations on a daily basis to spend money that it can be hard to keep the end goal in sight. Viorst has made Alexander into a sympathetic character that most children will recognize, but his choices are clearly impulsive. The title of the book, and the way events unfold, make it possible for kids to recognize the mistakes Alexander is making. Hopefully it will lead to a bit of self-reflection.

It is a pity that some of the references in the book are out of date. My son had never heard of a bus token or deposit bottles before. Also, a few of the places where Alexander's money goes are going to seem odd to many children. For instance, he loses a small bet to his mother and is fined by his father for bad language and fighting. Still, I like that the story includes scenarios where money is lost in ways that don't have to do with spending.

I recommend this book for children ages 5-8, especially those who would benefit from a lesson in goal-setting, self-restraint and spending habits. The story also alternates between referring to coins by their name and by their value, a nice touch.

I love this book for the point it makes and the simple yet funny way it does so. My only wish is that it could be reissued with an update as many of the cultural references are outdated and have to be explained before children can understand the meaning or humor. It is a sweet classic though.

This book needs to be updated! It is a good book and good idea, but it needs references to things that kids of today can understand.