This blog post includes several great books for aspiring young entrepreneurs.
I picked these books because they are some of my favorite books for aspiring young entrepreneurs and they also instill the entrepreneurial growth mindset. There are far too many books to mention in just one post so I will post more book ideas as I have time to summarize and organize the content for you. If you are an author and would like your book included – please contact me at juliewood@eseedling.com
The post is organized by age and reader level so you can choose what works best for you. Each book includes a link to the Amazon page so you can learn more and easily order if interested.
Section 1: For younger children but older children definitely will benefit also (Great books for Parents and Grandparents to read aloud)
What to Do with an Idea? By Kobi Yamada
This NY Times Best Seller Children’s Book is a wonderfully illustrated book that will inspire any child who is full of ideas. It’s a great way to start instilling the entrepreneurial mindset and is a great book for aspiring young entrepreneurs. The author has 2 other books that are great for kids including What to Do with a Problem? and What to Do with a Chance? I highly recommend these books for instilling that growth mindset at an early age. https://amzn.to/33Xddyz
We are the Gardeners: By Joanna Gaines
Another NY Times Best Seller Children’s Book which is also wonderfully illustrated book. This book was written by Joanna Gaines of the Fixer Upper/Magnolia fame. The story is about Joanna and her kids and their adventures in starting their own family garden. It includes the failures they had to overcome to create a successful garden and how hard work yields great rewards. This book is a wonderful and fun tale of how creating a garden and growing plants equates to other areas of life and is a great book for aspiring young entrepreneurs. https://amzn.to/2s9KSHZ
Maybe: By Kobi Yamada
The newest book by Kobi Yamada is also worth mentioning. This inspiring book focuses on the uniqueness of each person in the world and encourages us to find and live to our greatest potential. I included it because I believe entrepreneurship helps kids realize their uniqueness and brings out their potential in the form of them running their own business. https://amzn.to/2s4D9Lo
Section 2: Early Reader Books for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs
What Should Danny Do? What Should Darla Do? The Power to Choose Series by Adir and Ganet Levy
The Power to Choose Series help kids realize that they do have the power to choose to make their own decisions but that there are rewards and consequences attached to each choice we make. They are fun interactive books that based on the choice made by the reader, leads to different outcome. I included both What Should Danny Do and What Should Darla Do so that you can choose one or both superheroes. What Should Danny Do: https://amzn.to/2DU76jZ What Should Darla Do: https://amzn.to/2P0ZWRn
Jasmine Launches a Startup: by Baccar Karroum
This is the story of Jasmine who wanted to help sick kids but didn’t know how to start. She found help from her father and after struggling with starting her company, she found a partner in her cousin. This book teaches several lessons that even older entrepreneurs need to learn as they start their business. Great for the child who is interested in helping others and has an entrepreneurial spirit. This is definitely a great book for aspiring young entrepreneurs. https://amzn.to/2OYYjDJ
Becoming a Kid Entrepreneur – Learn to Earn: by Inspire Generations Amanda Yates
This book is about a group of kids who have some wants but not the money to buy them. They create businesses to earn money so they can buy want they want. Learn what businesses the kids started and how they did it, so you can too! https://amzn.to/36dquEC
Section 3: Mid Level and PreTeen Books for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs (ages 8-12)
Kidpreneurs; Young Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas: by Adam and Matthew Toren
This interactive guide type book starts with the basics of what is an entrepreneur, choosing your business idea, and touches on business fundamentals. The book also goes into several business ideas that can serve as examples for kids starting a business. It includes several resources for kids getting their business started and website up and running and has a section on giving back. This is a fun book for any kid who is interested in starting their own business. https://amzn.to/34Y7Ss4
You’re Never Too Young to Start a Business (kindle book): by Julie Ann Wood
This kindle book is a workbook style book that does through What is an Entrepreneur, How to Choose a Business Idea, Business Basics such as Start-up Costs, Marketing, Branding, Sales & Customer Service. It also includes a section on legal stuff and has free downloadable worksheets included. https://amzn.to/2P0aNev
You can Start a Business too! By Maddie Bradshaw
This book was written by a young entrepreneur, Maddie Bradshaw the creator of SNAP CAPS®, to help kids start their own business. This colorful book is aimed at girls who are interested in entrepreneurship and starting their own business. The book includes how you can take your idea and turn it into a business, what branding is, start-up financials, marketing and customer service. She also emphasizes that you can’t do it alone and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help! Definitely a recommended book for aspiring young girl entrepreneurs. https://amzn.to/34531Es
Kid Start-up: By Mark Cuban, Shaan Patel & Ian McCue
The authors of this book are all successful entrepreneurs and all started when they were young. This book is a great resource for any aspiring young entrepreneur. It includes what is an entrepreneur, productivity tips for kids, discovering your business idea, 10 business ideas any kid can start, launching your business, kid entrepreneur interviews and 10 business principles for kids to use in their business. https://amzn.to/33Z9znV
How to Start Your Very First Business by: Warren Buffet’s Secret Millionaire’s Club
From the Creators of Warren Buffet’s Secret Millionaire’s Club this business book will help kids learn about what business is and the different types of businesses they could start. It includes worksheets that kids can fill out as they go and includes a square reader so kids can take credit card payments. It includes business operation basics, information on choosing a location, branding, marketing, creating a business plan, growing your business, and giving back. This is one of the most thorough books for aspiring young entrepreneurs. NOTE: You may want to check with your local library to see if they have this book as the ones on Amazon seem to be high priced and it seems to be out of print. https://amzn.to/2DTXpC9
The Startup Squad byBrian Weisfeld and Nicole C. Kear
This fiction book is about a group of middle-school aged girls that want to win the lemonade stand competition at their school to win the grand prize. This fun adventure book is a great example of how to work together as a team to run a successful business. This is a great fiction book that is fun to read and teaches valuable entrepreneurial and team lessons at the same time. https://amzn.to/3545PCU
Section 4: Teen Books for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs:
A Paperboys Fable: The 11 Principles of Success by Deep Patel
This book is written by a young entrepreneur about Ty a young entrepreneur who through his experience teaches the reader the 11 Principles of Success outlined in the book. The also includes interviews from entrepreneurs, CEO’s and general David Petraeus. It is a great book for any aspiring teen entrepreneur. https://amzn.to/351LUV0
Young Entrepreneurs Guide to Starting and Running a Business By Steve Mariotti
This is one of the most comprehensive guides I have seen for teens who want to start a business. Created by Steve Mariotti who is the founder of the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), it has everything you need to get your business up and running and is perfect for any teen who wants to start a business. https://amzn.to/2s0zoql
Who Owns The Ice House? Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur By Gary Schoeniger and Clifton L Taulbert
This book is the story of Clifton Taulbert’s uncle who didn’t think like everyone around him and became an unexpected entrepreneur. The eight life lessons taught in this book will help you realize what is necessary to truly succeed as an entrepreneur – the entrepreneurial mindset! This book is perfect for any teen or adult aspiring entrepreneur (or for those already in business). https://amzn.to/36hkhrd
I hope you find this list of books for the aspiring young entrepreneur useful. I am extremely passionate and find it extremely interesting to read books on this topic to learn more about how I can help students, teachers and organizations implement entrepreneurship in the best possible way. There are so many resources that I have come across that I feel are so valuable that I will share in future posts. Julie Ann Wood, Author of More Than a Lemonade Stand and Chief Cultivator at Eseedling, LLC. You can learn more at Eseedling.com.
In case you missed our gift guide for young entrepreneurs you can check it out here: https://eseedling.com/10-great-gift-ideas-for-the-young-entrepreneur-under-50/