How did your sons choose who would write which book?
It’s all about their personalities. My son Franklin really enjoys fast food. My husband and I wanted him to understand that consumerism was different from franchising, so that’s how we came up with Franklin the Franchise Owner. Benjamin also has two books based on his personality. My husband is really big into stock investing, so he started teaching him about investing. We asked him about what he was interested in buying. As a video game lover, we had him search companies he liked to invest in, and he loved it. That’s how Ben the Banker came about.
Why was it important to you to feature Black children in the series?
Often children are shown a limited scope of success, such as entertainment and sports. I wanted to widen the lens and show them that they could be what they see. The parents see the shift in their children’s paradigm. This gives them the opportunity to foster the dreams and ambitions of their kids. It is very rewarding to see the intrinsic value and enthusiasm from children who read our books.
If you’re interested in grabbing a copy of a book in the Little Owners series, visit www.littleowners.com. Keep up with Barnes @littleowners on Facebook and Instagram.
