For ages 12+

The investing playbook your child will actually read.

Plain-English lessons on stocks, compound interest and the real rules of money — written for tweens who roll their eyes at jargon but will happily spend an afternoon learning how to turn £5 a week into something real.

Sonia Beardsmore spent over two decades as an equities trader in global financial markets. Now she’s teaching the next generation what schools don’t.
Cover of Raise A Mini Investor by Sonia Beardsmore — What Schools Don’t Teach

Read a chapter before you buy.

Drop your email and I’ll send you Section 2: Your Biggest Superpower Is Time — the chapter on why starting at 12 is genuinely game-changing, with the real numbers to prove it.

  • The one chart that makes compound interest click
  • Why £5 a week from age 12 beats £50 a month from age 25
  • A workbook page your child can fill in tonight
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See compound interest in action

The single most powerful idea in the book — try it with your own numbers and watch the snowball grow.

💷 Compound Interest Calculator

See how your money can grow over time — the magic of letting interest earn interest.

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Praise from parents and teachers

Early readers — including teachers and educators — on what they got from the book.

As an educator and a parent, I was impressed by how clearly this book explains concepts that many adults find intimidating. The intended audience was my daughter but I learned so much as well. An engaging and practical introduction to investing that gives young people knowledge they can build on for life. Learning that will most definitely pay!

— Emma, educator and mum of two

I loved this book. As a maths teacher and mother of three — 16, 14 and 11 — this book holds interest and relevance across all their ages. Perfectly pitched in terms of accessibility and interest, this is a great introduction to money, finance and economics. A brilliant intro for anyone wanting to study Business Studies or Economics, or even just understand compound interest more before you’re taught it in Maths. Great worksheets and quizzes throughout make it most of all a fun read. Highly recommend!

— Hilary, maths teacher and mum of three

Get the full ebook

14 sections · 88 pages · a 30-day paper-trading challenge · every tricky word explained. Delivered as an instant PDF download.

£9.99One-time payment · instant download
  • All 14 sections of the guide
  • Workbook prompts in every chapter
  • 30-day paper-trading log
  • UK-specific guide to junior investing accounts
  • Plain-English glossary
  • PLUS free bonus companion workbook
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Printable worksheets and exercises designed to be filled in alongside the book — so the lessons land at the kitchen table, not just in theory.

  • A printable workbook page for every section of the book
  • Compound interest calculator worksheet
  • 30-day paper-trading log
  • Personal investor goals worksheet
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Questions parents ask

The short version: no prior knowledge needed, no hard sell, no get-rich-quick nonsense.

Does my child need to know anything about investing already?

No. The book assumes zero prior knowledge. Every term is explained in plain English, and there’s a full glossary at the back. If your child can read a school textbook, they can read this.

Is this UK-specific?

The core principles — compound interest, stocks, diversification — are universal. But Section 12 covers how a young person in the UK can actually start investing (junior ISAs, which platforms allow under-18 accounts, what a parent needs to set up). If you’re outside the UK, roughly 85% of the book still applies; the “how to get started” section would need to be adapted to your country.

What age range is this actually for?

Written for ages 12+. Younger readers (around 10) work through it beautifully with a parent alongside them, and older teens still find it useful — even some adults have told me they’ve learnt something. The tone is conversational, not patronising — it respects the reader’s intelligence.

What format is the ebook?

PDF, delivered instantly via Payhip after purchase. Read it on a phone, tablet, laptop, or print the workbook pages. No apps, no accounts, no ongoing subscription.

Is this financial advice?

No. It’s financial education. The book teaches how the stock market works and the principles of long-term investing, but it does not recommend specific stocks or give personalised advice. For advice specific to your family’s situation, please speak to a regulated financial adviser.

Who is Sonia Beardsmore?

I spent over 22 years trading UK, European and North American equities, including 14 years on London trading desks. I also run Nest Group Properties, which specialises in developing and letting property. I wrote this book because when I became a parent, I realised the gap between what I’d learned on the desk and what schools were teaching my child was enormous — and entirely closeable.