Millionaires for the Month

By: Stacy McAnulty

Narrated by: Christopher Gebauer

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

How would you spend five million dollars in 30 days? A billionaire's wallet, a bizarre challenge, and an unlikely friendship send two kids on a wild adventure. From the author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl.

Felix Rannells and Benji Porter were never supposed to be field-trip partners. Felix is a rule follower. Benji is a rule bender. They're not friends. And they don't have anything to talk about. Until...they find a wallet. A wallet that belongs to tech billionaire Laura Friendly. They're totally going to return it - but not before Benji "borrows" 20 dollars to buy hot dogs. Because 20 dollars is like a penny to a billionaire, right?

But a penny has value. A penny doubled every day for 30 days is $5,368,709.12! So that's exactly how much money Laura Friendly challenges Felix and Benji to spend. They have 30 days. They can't tell anyone. And there are lots of other rules. But if they succeed, they each get 10 million dollars to spend however they want.

Challenge accepted! They rent cool cars, go to Disney World, buy pizza for the whole school - and that's just the beginning! But money can't buy everything or fix every problem. And spending it isn't always as easy and fun as they thought it would be....

As smart as it is entertaining, Millionaires for the Month is a thought-provoking story about friendship, privilege, and the value of a penny.

©2020 Stacy McAnulty (P)2020 Listening Library

So so so so so great

I really liked this book. I think Stacy do a wonderful job writing this book and Christopher did a great job narrating. I think Stacy should make a second book. Honestly I think all her books are amazing. This is a great book to show that money is not always the solution and it shows to be honest. I learned a great lesson from this book. I highly recommend this book it was so fun listening to it and I literally have listened to it at least 10 times and it is still great. I think anyone could enjoy this.

Okay

Annoying unrelated issues added to the story line that were not necessary nor explained.

A young Brewster's Millions

A young Brewster's Millions, satisfying and with a lot to think about.

Brewster's Millions (Richard Pryor and John Candy) was one of the films of my childhood. About a pretty penniless ball player given $30 million to spend by a distant billionaire relative in his will, he must spend it in a month to receive his true inheritance of $300 million.

Now this wish-fulfilment story is transported to a school, and to two boys who find a billionaire's wallet. As reward/punishment for stealing $20 out of it, she (yes, now a female) sets them a similar challenge. Without explaining to anybody why, and without giving any away, they must spend $5million in a month to receive a bigger sum that is theirs to keep.

But Felix and Benji can't explain to anyone why they are 'wasting' all this money, buying useless things but not things that could be helpful to family and friends. They might just learn what money, riches and even friendship mean over the course of the month.

The context change really worked for this plot: what child hasn't dreamed of this type of scenario, being able to throw money at every single thing they've dreamed of? But consequences exist and the two boys, different in temperament, family situation and even morality, will both find themselves thinking hard about what matters and what they can do together.

Great audiobook, I really enjoyed the narrator voicing the boys, and it's one I'll share with my 9-year-old. It's a straightforward story to follow and a good choice for a listen rather than on paper.

The different personalities of the boys were a good contrast, with a few moral dilemmas flung their way, some maths I enjoyed (regarding the money), the effects of over-indulgence, and some clever manoeuvres to attempt to spend all the money in time.

Great title for the 9-13 market. Lots to think about and to entertain, and even discuss.

With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.