8 MUST-READ BOOKS FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
The best books on entrepreneurship every young, aspiring girl boss needs to read
There is more than one way for your budding business owner to absorb everything she can about entrepreneurship. She can join an after-school club or entrepreneurial summer camp, work with a mentor or coach, and/or read books.
Yes, books! Books have the power to uplift and set positive examples; they encourage readers to fine-tune skills, discover interests, find purpose, and gain a clearer understanding of the world. And books with an entrepreneurial theme can provide your girl with practical tips and strategies on what it’s like to run a business day-to-day. The best books for young entrepreneurs are also excellent sources of inspiration for your girl to develop her entrepreneurial mindset.
Looking forward to adding more books to your girl’s home library? We highly recommend (and personally love) these must-read books for young entrepreneurs!
What Does It Mean To Be An Entrepreneur by Rana DiOrio and Emma D. Dryden
Recommended for ages 4 to 8. Part of the award-winning What Does It Mean to Be…? series, What Does It Mean to Be an Entrepreneur? prompts young readers to channel their inner Rae, the determined young girl featured in the story, and explore the question, “What if?” By asking this question, budding entrepreneurs discover that any problem can be solved. Just like how Rae asked, “What if there were an easier way to keep dogs clean?” and had the bright idea to design a fully automated, robotic dog-washing machine. Buy it on Amazon.
Recommended for ages 8 to 12. Inspired by the true story of a Shark Tank-featured sustainable protein startup, Chirps Chips, Eat Bugs is a heartwarming read that chronicles the empire-building adventures of two sixth-graders, Hallie and Jaye, who end up as partners for their school’s business pitch competition. The catch? They’re complete opposites but need to work in sync to achieve a shared goal: To sell bugs as food. The Chirps Chips founders make an appearance in the book’s bonus material. Buy it on Amazon or Bookshop.
The Great Peach Experiment: When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie by Erin Soderberg Downing
Recommended for ages 8 to 12. With the help of his three kids (and money from one of his late wife’s inventions), Mr. Peach fulfills Mrs. Peach’s wish of starting a food truck business and plans a summer on the road for the Peach family. The Great Peach Experiment shares how the Peach family reconnects and solves challenges as they do their best to run a business, sell peach pies for profit, and enter a food truck competition. Buy it on Amazon or Bookshop.
Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
Recommended for ages 8 to 12. Book 1 of The Lemonade War series, Lemonade War is a classic published in 2007. If you and your girl haven’t read it yet, we promise not to spoil the ending! As the book title suggests, yes, there is a war of lemonade stands and whoever earns the most money by summer’s end wins. But the sibling rivalry between people-person Evan Treski and his math-whiz sister, Jessie, intensifies, and their bond gets caught in the crossfire. Buy it on Amazon or Bookshop.
The Startup Squad Series by Brian Weisfeld and Nicole C. Kear
Recommended for ages 8 to 13. Not just one but three books round off the list of titles recommended for girls who mean business! The first three books in The Startup Squad series recount how the Startup Squad, Resa, Harriet, Didi, and Amelia, chase their entrepreneurial pursuits and deal with challenges along the way. From managing a lemonade stand to raising funds to helping a friend’s business, the girls make it work by working together and trusting the strength of their friendship. Each book also gives a a well-deserved spotlight to a real-life successful girl boss and shares real-world business advice for kids starting and running startups. Buy an autographed set of all three books here.
Recommended for ages 10+. No path to success is the same. And Mikaila Ulmer’s success story is so unique that it’s only fitting to include Bee Fearless on this list of best books for young entrepreneurs. In her business memoir, Mikaila shares how she overcame her fear of bees and transformed her honey-infused lemonade beverage idea into a thriving business. Still going very strong, Me & the Bees is one of the most successful companies founded by a kid entrepreneur. Young entrepreneurs can definitely learn a lot from Mikaila’s story and her business know-how. Buy it on Amazon or Bookshop.
What do you think of this recommended reading list? Even if your girl has yet to express interest in becoming her own boss someday, these books teach more than just entrepreneurship. They boost creative thought and empower kids and teens to think outside the box. So, share this list with your girl, and let us know on social media which novel resonates with her the most or if she has a few recommendations of her own. We’d love to add it to our collection of best books for young entrepreneurs!
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