Alaina Trivax | FOLLOW THE MONEY| Author Talk and Kids Activity

Join author and financial educator Alaina Trivax for a fun, hands-on family workshop and author talk celebrating the launch of Follow the Money: A Fun Financial Literacy Game for Kids. Kids will take part in a “Back-to-School Money Skills” activity where they’ll make spending choices, work within a budget, and learn how trade-offs shape real-life money decisions. Perfect for families with kids ages 8–12, this interactive event will include a short activity, Q&A, book signing, and books available for purchase.

Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2026, 5:30pm - 7pm. Doors open at 5pm.
Location: Sidetrack Bookshop, 325 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067

Tickets:

• $21.00 - Includes admission for 1 adult + 1 child to the event and one copy of . If additional children or adults are attending please purchase additional $5 tickets for each additional person.
• $5 - Includes admission for 1 adult + 1 child. If additional children or adults are attending, please purchase a ticket for each additional person.

Additional copies of will be available for purchase at the event (while supplies last).

Parking in the Center Street Parking Garage located just north of Sidetrack Bookshop with entrances on both Washington and Center Streets is free for the first two hours and costs only 75 cents per hour thereafter, Monday through Saturday.

Please read on for more information about the event.

About Follow the Money
Follow the Money gives kids the tools they need to manage their money now and down the line. They’ll learn financial skills, complete activities that reinforce these skills, and make choices that either add to or subtract from their Treasure Chest of (pretend) money in this fun, interactive game. Designed to help parents teach finances to their child take charge in learning how to budget, save up, calculate a tip, and more.

Kids will add or subtract money from their Treasure Chest as they move through book's activities, and will make choices and tough decisions to see how much money they have at the end. Includes an answer key and a handy, age-appropriate glossary of financial terms & concepts.

About Alaina Trivax

Alaina Trivax is a certified teacher, a financial writer, and a household budgeter who helps kids (and grown-ups) understand money. She has spent more than a decade in the classroom helping middle school students build essential learning and life skills. Alaina also writes about personal finance, with a goal of making money less confusing for families. She is passionate about teaching financial literacy because she knows that strong money skills can open doors later in life.

Whether she’s working with students in the classroom or writing about budgeting, Alaina’s goal is to turn big ideas into practical tools that people can actually use. She’s the founder of Let’s Make It Grow, a project focused on helping parents raise financially confident kids, and believes that everyone can learn how to manage money. (And, most important, she thinks that the learning should be a little fun along the way!)