Ideas about Measuring & Accounting (1974)

In 1974, John E. Maher wrote a book called Ideas about Measuring and Accounting, a book was written for children to teach them math and simple accounting ideas. The book begins with very simple ideas like the definition of an expense and progressively delves into more comprehensive topics like income statements. Income statements are financial reports that show the amount of money earned by an individual or business as well as the amount of money exiting the account. Maher talks about balancing, which goes hand in hand with income statements, as the goal of balancing is to make sure that there is no overspending, and you know exactly what your money is going toward.

It's unknown what age group this book is intended for, but the concepts go deeper than what is typically taught in elementary schools. Money Problems, written by Marina Cohen and published in 2011, is a more recent example of a nonfiction educational book for children on the topic. This book is most likely intended for a kindergarten to first grade level, as the ideas explored in the book are things like counting money and adding/subtraction. Math education has clearly changed a lot over the past 50 years.

The implementation of Common Core in the early 2010's led to schools focusing more on real-life situations, teaching kids how to manage their money, save, and start small businesses. One example given in Cohen's book is starting a lemonade stand, encouraging kids to get hands on practice with money and start small. So, thanks to John E. Maher and his book Ideas about Measuring & Accounting, children can better understand their own money.

Books like Maher's remain highly relevant today because nonfiction reading plays a crucial role in shaping a child's educational development. Reading nonfiction during the early stages of childhood is essential because it shapes how children understand and interpret the world around them. In addition, nonfiction fosters the development of analytical and critical thinking skills while strengthening reading comprehension and writing abilities.

Ideas about Measuring & Accounting by John E. Maher can be found in Special Collections in the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection (HF5635 .M217). To view the book, visit Special Collections in McCain Library and Archives room 305. The library is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For questions about the book, contact Karlie Herndon at Karlie.Herndon@usm.edu.

The Item of the Month was written in 2024 by Sandra Bullock, a sophomore accounting major.

**Items of the Month featured from 2024 – 2026 will be the work of Southern Miss studetns who took HON 303, a seminar held in Fall 2024 focusing on archives and special collections.

Sources:
https://marinacohen.com/books/

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/nonfiction- books-kids.html

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/non-fiction-why-its-important/