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Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented

A picture-book history describes the evolution of the popular board game through the contributions of the people involved over the years in its creation. In 1903, Elizabeth Magie created a board game called Landlord to show how unjust landlord/tenant relationships often were. She patented her game in 1904 but no toy companies were interested in buying it. People were certainly interested in playing the game, however, making handmade boards to play. Over the years, the rules and the name of the game changed. In 1932, a player named Charles Darrow made his own improvements to the game and was able to sell it to it to Parker Brothers. A patent search, however, revealed that Magie was the original inventor, although she would not end up profiting from her work. These details and more are shaped into a highly engaging story for young readers. Illustrations giving an excellent sense of the historical setting also capture the spirit of the original and current Monopoly graphics and illustrations. Back matter includes a note from the author and bibliography of sources, as well as trivia about the game and a section on Monopoly math. ©2019 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Steven Salerno

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 8-12
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: 20th Century Girls and Women History (Nonfiction) Inventing and Inventors Sexism

Publishers: Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt
Publish Year: 2018
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781627791687

CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 794 Stone