Cliques Just Don't Make Cents

Help kids understand the harm of social exclusion and discover how and why it occurs. The story reveals the various roles within a clique and the effects of peer pressure to maintain an exclusive social group. Kids who feel left out will learn to value their differences and seek out other friendship circles where all are welcome to participate. Penny tries to hang with the Coin Clique, but she usually feels left out. The other coins, especially Quarter and Half Dollar are best friends, do everything together, and tell Penny she isn’t worth much.

Then one day Penny lands in a pocket with the beautiful, gold dollar coin. Dollar is different from the silver coins too, and she starts to teach Penny how special and valuable she really is. With Dollar's help, Penny learns to feel as shiny on the inside as she looks on the outside. Cliques Just Don’t Make Cents is part of the popular Building Relationships series which supports social emotional learning while building better relationships.

Cliques Just Don’t Make Cents is the recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award, and has a page of tips for parents and educators.

"Cliques Just Don’t Make Cents is a clever metaphor and delightfully written lesson about a very important topic that should be read by students of all ages."
- Sheldon Braaten, Ph.D., Executive Director, Behavioral Institute for Children and Adolescents.