Money Matters

I set out to test if *Money Matters* could actually make a 7-year-old care about finance, and within minutes, I heard my nephew gasp during the section on "the power of waiting" (a.k.a. delayed gratification). Virtual Voice’s narration deserves applause—it’s the audiobook equivalent of a patient teacher who remembers what it’s like to be young, never talking over the listener’s head but never dumbing things down either. My only quibble? The sound effects occasionally dip into the distracting (a squeaky "hello" from a piggy bank had us all groaning), and the transition between some chapters feels abrupt, like flipping a page in a book where the author forgot to write a bridge. Still, the pacing overall is nearly perfect for the target age group—fast enough to hold attention spans but slow enough to let ideas sink in. Burns’ knack for tying money lessons to everyday kid scenarios (birthday budgets! toy trade-ins!) is pure gold. My nephew’s takeaway? 'Money’s kinda like a video game currency, but real.' High praise from the toughest critics. If you’re hunting for an audiobook that turns 'boring grown-up stuff' into a must-listen, this one’s worth the coin.