One Year Later: Celebrating the Journey of Madeline’s Money Adventure

What Happens When a 6-Year-Old Writes a Book?

Madeline’s Money Adventure is a bilingual children’s financial literacy book and the foundation of Piggy Bank Pathways, a family-centered financial wellness initiative helping kids and caregivers build healthy money habits together through books, curriculum, school partnerships, and community events.

One year ago, we released a little book inspired by the real-life questions my daughter asked about money.

Questions like:

“Why do grown-ups go to work?”  

“How do you save up for something big?”  

“Can kids make money too?”

At the time, this was simply about a little girl wanting to write a book like her mom. We figured that we could create a joyful story that helped kids feel confident talking about money early in life and few hundred families would read it.

We never imagined it would lead to school partnerships, statewide recognition, TV appearances, community events, and a PBS KIDS feature.

But here we are.

And honestly… we’re still taking it all in.

The Book That Started It All

Madeline’s Money Adventure was born from everyday conversations in our home.

As a public health professional and financial wellness educator, I’ve spent years helping adults unpack stress, shame, and confusion around money. Over and over again, I saw the same pattern:

Many financial struggles start long before adulthood.

They start with silence.  With fear.  With never learning.  

With believing money is “too complicated” to talk about.

So when Madeline started asking thoughtful, curious questions about money as a young child, I leaned in. Together, we co-wrote a story about earning, saving, spending, and giving in a way that felt joyful, accessible, and age-appropriate.

And yes, this children’s financial literacy book was truly co-authored by a child. At just six years old, Madeline helped shape the ideas, storyline, and personality behind the book. Her imagination and curiosity are woven into every page.

When we launched the book in May 2025, we had no idea what would happen next.

What Is Piggy Bank Pathways?

Piggy Bank Pathways is a family-centered financial literacy initiative designed to help children and caregivers build healthy money habits together. Through children’s books, classroom activities, workshops, and community events, Piggy Bank Pathways helps families have earlier, healthier, and more confident conversations about money.

Our work focuses on:

- Financial literacy for kids ages 4–10

- Family financial wellness

- School and community partnerships

- Trauma-informed, accessible learning

- Bilingual and inclusive educational materials

- Financial literacy curriculum and activities for elementary students

What started as one book has grown into a larger movement focused on helping families feel more confident talking about earning, saving, giving, spending, and goal-setting.

A Summer We’ll Never Forget

What followed was one of the most beautiful and surreal summers of our lives.

Over the course of the summer, Madeline completed a 10-stop Michigan book tour, meeting families, reading with children, signing books, and helping spark conversations about financial wellness in communities across the state.

Some of our favorite stops included:

- Cozy Corner in Charlotte, MI

- Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan in Detroit

- Sip Coffee & Cocktails in Grand Rapids 

- Literacy Camp in Grand Ledge, MI 

And then came one of the moments Madeline will probably remember forever:

Her live TV appearance on Fox 2 Detroit.

Watching her confidently speak about money, books, and helping kids learn was one of those “pause and soak this in” parenting moments.

Not because of the cameras.  Not because of the attention.

But because you could see she was at ease telling her story.  

Piggy Bank Pathways Became Bigger Than a Book

As more families connected with the story, something unexpected happened. People didn’t just want the book. They wanted the conversations. Teachers wanted classroom tools. Parents wanted support. Organizations wanted programming. Communities wanted engaging ways to help families talk about money together.

That’s when Piggy Bank Pathways really began to grow.

What started as one children’s book evolved into a larger vision for financial literacy education that is:

- Family-centered

- Trauma-informed

- Joyful and accessible

- Rooted in real-life behavior change

- Designed to help kids and grown-ups learn together

Over the last year, Piggy Bank Pathways has continued to grow in exciting ways.

This year, we were honored to:

✨ Become a semi-finalist for the Black Ambition Prize  

✨ Win the Warrior Rising National Pitch Competition in Washington, DC  

✨ Partner with the Michigan Department of Treasury MI Money Matters Initiative

Each opportunity gave us the chance to share a bigger vision:

A future where financial wellness education starts early and reaches entire families — not just individuals.

America Is About to Meet Lansing’s Awesome Kid

And now… the next chapter begins.

On May 22, Madeline will be featured on PBS KIDS’ digital series America’s Awesome Kids.

To say we’re excited would be an understatement.

This opportunity means so much to our family--not just because it’s national exposure, but because representation matters. Kids deserve to see children who look like them, sound like them, and come from communities like theirs doing meaningful things. They deserve to see that their creativity matters. Their questions matter. Their ideas matter.

Madeline is simply being herself. A curious kid who wanted to help other children learn about money.

And now America gets to meet Lansing’s awesome kid.

Interested in Bringing Piggy Bank Pathways to Your Community?

Piggy Bank Pathways partners with schools, libraries, community organizations, financial institutions, and family-focused events to make financial literacy for kids more accessible and engaging.

Partnership opportunities include:

- Author visits and read-alouds

- Family financial literacy events

- Sponsored book giveaways

- Classroom and afterschool programming

- Speaking engagements and workshops

- Community activations

- Financial literacy curriculum partnerships

Whether you serve students, families, educators, or communities, we’d love to explore ways to work together.

What’s Next

As we look ahead to summer, we’re incredibly excited about what’s coming next.

We’ll continue hosting family and community events, expanding financial literacy programming, and growing Piggy Bank Pathways into an even stronger resource for schools, organizations, and families.

Myron’s first book comes out this summer.

We’re also beginning the process of officially forming a nonprofit organization so we can pursue grants, sponsorships, and partnerships that help us bring this work to even more communities.

Because at its core, this work has never just been about money. It’s about helping families feel less overwhelmed and more hopeful about their future.

It’s about raising financially well families, and stronger communities, together.

Thank You

To every person who bought a book.  

Shared a post.  

Invited us to an event.  

Cheered Madeline on.  

Opened a door.  

Encouraged this vision.  

Or believed in this mission before it was “big”…

Thank you.

From the bottom of our feet to the top of our heads… thank you. 💜

We cannot wait to show you what comes next.

Join Us

Whether you’re a parent, educator, community leader, sponsor, or simply someone who believes kids deserve better financial education, we’d love to connect with you.

👉 Explore the book  

👉 Bring Piggy Bank Pathways to your community  

👉 Partner with us 

👉 Follow Madeline’s journey on PBS KIDS

👉 Interested in a classroom, school, library, or community event for a financial literacy experience students will actually remember? Bring Dr. Darla to Your School or Event