The BIG BUCK Adventure

The Big Buck Adventure

Posted by Lorraine Khury

Title: The Big Buck Adventure

Author: Shelley Gill & Deborah Tobola                    

 Illustrator: Grace Lin

Recommended Grade Level: 2^nd grade   

Common Core Mathematics Standard:

CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.C.8 – Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and cents symbols appropriately (Ex: If you have 2 dimes and 3 pennies, how many cents do you have?).

CCSS.Math.Content.20AA.1 – Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.

Summary: This is a story is about a girl (that narrator who remains unnamed throughout the story) who receives a raise in her allowance by a buck! She doesn’t know what she should buy with her extra buck, so shops around to weigh out her options. First, she stops at the candy shop where Mr. Cash offers her a hundred jawbreakers for a dollar. But, the narrator gets distracted from his offer whens he notices gummy bears crammed in a jar. Mr. Cash tells her that she can get three gummy bears for a quarter or one for a dime. The narrator has to calculate which option would be worth her buck in her head, but isn’t ready to settle with candy. So, she goes to the toy store to see what she can buy. She eyes several toys she’d like but Ms. Silver tells her she doesn’t have enough money to buy any of it. Ms. Silver suggests a dozen creepy crawlers on sale instead, but the narrator darts on out of there and heads to the deli next. At the deli, she asks Ms. Penny for suggestions on what she can buy with her buck. Ms. Penny suggest a slice of pie, a giant fill pickle for one nickel, a beef jerky for a quarter, or a leg o’turkey for three quarters.  Overwhlemed with her options, the narrator leaves the deli and heads for the pet store. There Mr. Buck offers her three guppies for a dollar, or ants and a hill for eighty-five cents. The narrator doesn’t want to spend that much, so she asks if he has a pet flea or a fly available for sale. He does! And they’re three for a penny, not a cent more. The narrator can buy lots of pet fleas and flies with her buck, but it’s just too many more fleas and flies than she’d wish! 

After shopping around with her buck, the narrator suddenly wishes she didn’t have so much money to spend. So many options…what to choose?! It has become an overwhelming task for her, but then she realizes she doesn’t have to spend that extra buck in her allowance. She can save it instead!

Rating (1 to 5 Stars): * * * *  I really like this book because it not only reinforces the concept of addition and subtraction in, but it also teaches readers the importance of saving at the end. Also, I think it can be an introduction to needs and wants (is it absolutely necessary to spend extra money you have on candy?)

Classroom Ideas: This book is great for helping young children conceptualize the concept of money and spending. The story centers around a dollar bill (or a “buck”), which is a good introduction to learn the monetary value of coins and how they add up to a dollar. I think a good activity for this book is set up a pretend shop, selling items similar to the ones mentioned in the book. Each student will be given a dollar of pretend money to spend, but the twist will be to figure out how to get the most value for your money. Students will be asked to prioritize their desires and buy only as needed. Anyone who can get the most bang for their buck with some money left over is a plus for their piggy banks!