Thinking about this it rather depends on how old the budding young photographer is, but for a budget of $150 I'd recommend a good, mint-in-box Canon G1X - $130, and a used hand held light meter, $20, and as others have said, a good book on basic photographic technique, $10. OK so that's $160
The G1X is capable of very good flexibility and IQ in a very small, albeit complicated package - hence me asking the age of the individual.
The light meter is essential IMO for someone to learn what is actually happening with exposure, and therefor how to light and expose something to get the effect you envisage. Real photography is about visualising the picture as you want it be and then placing the image on the sensor to achieve that. Of course this isn't just about exposure, it is also lighting and subject, angle, framing etc etc. The G1X has basically the same sensor as a 7D but chopped off at the ends, giving more of a 7x5 format, and as with all those Canon 18mp sensors it doesn't like either over or under exposure. Expose correctly on that sensor and it is really very good, and I can remember the comments on DRP saving that the Sony Exmor 1" sensor was better and it drove me mad because I have both ( actually sold the G3X now) and it just isn't in the same league IMO. Pictures from the 1" sensor
look like they have come from a small sensor, the "1.5" sensor in the G1X doesn't.
A failing of this camera is that it tends to over expose, and this spoils the quality so a separate light meter will give the person an opportunity to understand the differences. It also allows someone to find out that accurate exposure in constant light outside is easy to judge very accurately by eye - starting from the "sunny 16" rule. In time the hand held meter won't be used anymore but it will have done it's work of education.
When the G1X was introduced Lens Rentals did a test on it and were surprised to find it's IQ was roughly similar to a 7D with 17-55 f/2.8 lens. Not bad for $130 used now.
The only caveats are that as with all these Canon cameras up until the latest models, if your budding photographer's tastes are towards cartoon-like, tone mapped type images then the any of those Canons are not for them. Also make sure that the used light meter is actually still accurate. This could be tested on a Grey Card and compared to your camera. Bear in mind that digital camera ISO are often
not the real ones ! For instance 100 ISO on a G1X is really about 80, so for 100 on the camera set 80 on the light meter. ( My 5DS is really about 70 ISO at 100). There are new light meters available on eBay for about $13 but I have no idea how accurate or reliable they would be.
A good grounding in the basic and important principles of photography will allow someone to develop with a solid foundation