The Tuttle Twins

After seeing many ads for The Tuttle Twins books, I was excited to check out and review this popular series. The basic premise of the series is that twins Ethan and Emily Tuttle learn about economic principles and the path to freedom. Through simple stories and explanations, author Connor Boyack succeeds in actually making libertarian principles understandable for the 6-10 year old crowd. Impressive!

Libertarian Worldview

First of all, these books are written from a staunchly libertarian, black and white perspective. If you are a libertarian you will be a huge fan of these books. If you are generally conservative in your political views, you’ll enjoy parts of these books while not 100% agreeing with others. You might want to take a book by book approach, since each short book is focused on a particular concept. Personally, I think that most of the concepts in the books are worth learning about: hyperinflation, free market, coercive governments, the role of law, personal responsibility, entitlement, etc. On the other hand, I thought some concepts were oversimplified; for example, that central planning is always a bad idea.

Didactic Literature

These books belong to the time-honored tradition of didactic literature: books which both entertain and instruct. In other words, these books are not classics with superb style and diction. But they are very effective in conveying their concepts. My 8 year old can easily articulate many of these economic principles after reading this series.

Young Kids Enjoy Them

Here’s an important question: will my kids actually read them? Yes, they will, if they’re like mine. The bright, modern illustrations and simple text make these books easy and approachable for young readers. They are just right for the target audience of 6-10 year olds.

Encouraging Political Activism

One thing I think all parents will appreciate is the focus on encouraging children to get involved and take action to support their beliefs. For example, when city laws shut down their favorite food truck, Ethan and Emily go to the press to help publicize the unfairness of the laws.

Concepts by Book

Here are the main concepts covered in each book, if you want to pick and choose.

Affiliate links

1. The Tuttle Twins Learn About the Law: the proper role of government and law, and what legal plunder is
2. The Tuttle Twins and the Miraculous Pencil: free market principles (and how a pencil is made)
3. The Tuttle Twins and the Creature from Jekyll Island: banking, money, and the problem of inflation
4. The Tuttle Twins and the Food Truck Fiasco: business regulations, competition, and government cronyism
5. The Tuttle Twins and the Road to Surfdom: unintended consequences of central planning
6. The Tuttle Twins and the Golden Rule: the Golden Rule and the dangers of revenge
7. The Tuttle Twins and the Search for Atlas: entitlement, personal responsibility, producers and consumers
8. The Tuttle Twins and their Spectacular Show Business: entrepreneurship and business ownership
9. The Tuttle Twins and the Fate of the Future: dystopias, coercion, and how to build a better future via cooperation
10. The Tuttle Twins and the Education Vacation: alternative education options
11. The Tuttle Twins and the Messed Up Market: loans, subsidies, bailouts, markets
    

Worth buying?

Personally, I think yes. Although you may not agree with everything unless you’re a libertarian, there’s also a lot of solid conservative principles about economy and freedom here explained in an accessible way for little kids. These books are completely clean, with a positive focus on supportive parents, respectful kids, and cooperation. They may not be great literature, but they’re effective in teaching libertarian basics.

The most cost effective way to buy The Tuttle Twins is on the publisher site through my affiliate link: https://tuttletwins.com/ref/goodbooksforcatholickids/

You can get all 11 books plus workbooks for $91!