Money Medical

Gr 10 Up—This CD-ROM is intended to teach teens good money management habits and techniques. It includes eight 45-minute segments on topics such as understanding money, spending choices, income and bill cycles, building a budget, credit or cash, loans, and credit reports. After each chapter, interactive quizzes and exercises reinforce the lessons. Handouts that complement the lessons are available in PDF format, as is "The Big Book of Financial Health" which students are encouraged to print out and keep handy while using the software. The segments feature 20-something animated characters who live on their own and work, so it is difficult to see how high school students will relate to them. The software covers topics such as credit cards, credit reports, and monthly budgets of amounts like $1,800. The characters attend a 12-step program called "Money Anonymous" and go on dates with each other. This all seems a bit out of touch for younger students. While the overall idea behind this software is sound, it tries too hard to be "hip," the characters use slang which will be dated quickly, the animation tries too hard, and the lessons are geared more towards an adult audience.—Geri Diorio, Ridgefield Library, CT