Quinlan Riser, left, and his brother Quentin Riser wrote a book to promote financial literacy. (Photos courtesy of the authors)
Writer: Steve Dinnen
Quinlan Riser is a wealth adviser, vice president of FCT Insurance in West Des Moines and a former executive at Principal Financial Group. He knows money.
His twin brother, Quentin Riser, is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison whose research focuses on child and family development and how economic and structural conditions, including income stability, affect children. He knows money, too.
Bringing their skill sets together, the Risers decided to write a financial literacy book for young people, giving them a head start before adulthood. The result, “Eden’s Money Magic: Learning About Finances,” introduces children to the basics of money: what it is, how it works and how it sometimes doesn’t.
“We thought, wouldn’t it be really cool if you started this really early?” Quinlan said. (Quentin has three young kids at home, a built-in test audience.)
The book opens with everyday conversations about spending and saving, then explains where to stash cash and how to access it through tools like checking and savings accounts. The goal is to reach children from kindergarten on up.
“They see value in money, but this helps open the door for parents to engage in discussions about how to keep and access dollars safely when they need to transact,” Quinlan said.
The book also introduces the concept of interest. “We aim to impress upon the reader that by putting money away, they can grow it over time, gaining a greater ability to accomplish financial objectives,” Quinlan said. “We equate compounding interest to planting a garden. You begin small, but over time, you see the impact of the seeds you planted.”
Guiding young readers is the book’s main character, a clever and compassionate cat named Eden, who leads the kids of Moneyville on a journey toward financial independence, showing that mastering money can be as empowering as it is magical.
Pretty basic stuff — on purpose. But everyone has to start somewhere, and Quinlan said the brothers plan to expand the concept into a series that tackles more complex topics as kids grow older. That seems likely, especially since one of Quentin’s children is named Eden — and the other two, Jordan and Nazareth, would like to read namesake books of their own.
More book’s about financial literacy
Alissa Cornick, a youth librarian at the South Side branch of the Des Moines Public Library, found a number of books and series that explain money basics to young readers. Here are a few of her suggestions:
“Building Blocks of Finance Series”
Geared toward late elementary and early middle school readers, this series focuses on best practices for kids to earn, save and manage money. Titles in the series include “What is Money” by Echo Elise Gonzalez and “Spending Money” by Lauren Kelliher.
“A Kids Book about Money” by Adam Stramwasser
This book for kids aged 5-9 explains what money is, how to earn it and how to use it. It shows how to develop skills for saving, budgeting and spending.
“Get to Know: Money, a Fun Visual Guide to How Money Works and How to Manage It” by Kalpana Fitzpatrick
This explores some bigger topics, such as how banks work and the impact of money on mental health.
“Make Your Own Money: How Kids Can Earn It, Save It, Spend It and Dream Big, with Danny Dollar, the King of Cha-Ching” by Tyrone Allan Jackson
This gives kids tips on starting a business and even covers how to write a business plan and raise startup money.
