Prices! Prices! Prices!: Why They Go Up and Down - Hardcover

David A. Adler taught math for eight years. In that time he learned many things from his students -- including the fact that they thought fractions were hard. So he decided to prove that learning how to work with fractions is not only easy, but also fun! He lives with his family on Long Island. You can learn more about him at www. davidaadler.com.

Edward Miller loves to make concepts clear to kids and has demonstrated that in his previous nonfiction books. School Library Journal praised his Alphabeep: A Zipping, Zooming ABC by Debora Pearson as "stunningly illustrated." He lives in New York City. You can visit his website at www.edmiller.com.

Gr 2–5—Presented in a clear and straightforward manner, this title explains the most basic economic concepts. Using the classic example of opening and operating a lemonade stand as a jumping-off point, Adler engages readers in a five-day scenario depicting the four basic laws of supply and demand. For instance, the purchase of serving and presentation materials (a fixed cost) and ingredients (a variable cost) demonstrates how to determine the variable cost per drink and set a price per cup. Adler uses other scenarios to indicate how changes in supply and demand influence cost, such as when a neighbor opens a competing lemonade stand. Miller's cheery, cartoonlike images add to the upbeat, conversational tone. Text boxes discuss key points, such as the four supply and demand laws and how to calculate each day's variable profit. However, readers will not find the frequently used diagram of supply and demand curves intersecting to determine the equilibrium price, nor will they find back matter explaining concepts above and beyond the text or directing them to additional sources. Unfortunately, not all the words highlighted in the text are defined in the glossary—and not all the glossary terms are highlighted in the text. VERDICT A serviceable introductory economics text for elementary school students.—Meaghan Darling, Long Hill Township Public Library, Gillette, NJ