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DS7 is in another expansion. He is learning quite a bit exploring on a paper trade account. He is ready to learn how to read balance sheets, cash flow statements, etc (US based) and how they are related to each other. Most of the stuff I have found is written for upper college/ grad which is a bit too advanced. Anyone have a favorite source?

Note: Dummies books and Idiot Guides are not a big hit here. Not sure why.

Thanks!

I haven't personally used this book, but it looks like it might be a fun primer:

http://books.google.ca/books/about/The_Accounting_Game.html?id=XfGt8u_wk5YC&redir_esc=y

Let me know if the tone of this document is too patronizing:

http://www.ruralfinance.org/fileadm...1159514802847_accounting_kidsgame_en.pdf

No suggestions, but kudos to both of you for taking finance education seriously. I wish more kids would learn about basic accounting. I have found that even among very bright and educated people, if it isn't their direct specialty, their (sometimes wilful) ignorance is shocking. I have knowledge only in so afar as it's public finance related, but even with coworkers I have noticed that those who should be able to read a balance sheet often have no idea. I am a one eyed specialist among the blind!

Before delving into accounting, I would ask someone if they knew the difference between a stock and a bond. Some recent college graduates I have talked to did not know. They should also know what mutual funds are.

Good. There are tons of books on investing for adults who are not in the profession. Maybe some in the "Little Book" series would be appropriate, for example

The Little Book of Valuation: How to Value a Company, Pick a Stock and Profit
by Aswath Damodaran

The Little Book That Still Beats the Market
by Joel Greenblatt and Andrew Tobias

The Little Book of Value Investing
by Christopher H. Browne and Roger Lowenstein

I don't have a specific suggestion, but a source to check out might be The Economist. They tend to write to an assumed intelligent but not-insider reader. The quality of the writing is good, as is the balance for the most part. (My DS has been glued to the science and technology section since he was 8.)

They do produce guide books (store.economist.com/Group-Finance_and_Economics.aspx) but I haven't read any, so can't specifically recommend. You might also look through the magazine's Special Reports for topics of interest.

I liked this one:

"How to Read a Financial Report: Wringing Vital Signs Out of the Numbers" by John Tracy.

and also:

"Financial Statements: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Creating Financial Reports"

by Thomas Ittelson.