Review of The Road to Surfdom at Learning Tangent

Connor Boyack writes an amazing picture book series where two twins (The Tuttle Twins) learn about libertarian economics using real world examples. By their very nature, this series challenges widely-held assumptions about economics and personal liberties. Whenever I read the description of the next book, I think, You can't teach a child that! It's too complicated/controversial/etc.!

Then I read the book and, guess what? You can! 

And you should. The Road to Surfdom covers the unintended consequences of central planning and even pictures a farmer who has lost his farm due to rising property taxes and eminent domain. Wow, that sounds like a big topic, right? You can't teach a kid that!

But yes, you can. And you should, because one day in the not-so-distant future, your child will vote on central planning issues.

For example, along with the highly contested presidential race this year, my ballot also included a state-wide vote to expand public transportation. Public transportation is one of those things that often sound great but have the kinds of unintended consequences depicted in The Road to Surfdom. The bond was approved and will affect 76 counties. I wonder if any houses will be torn down and what businesses might fail due to changes in traffic patterns? When we vote to give government this sort of power, these are the kinds of risks we take, and it’s important not only to understand the risks, but to understand how such changes might affect our future.

I'm a libertarian and yet these books manage to challenge my own non-libertarian assumptions--they often remind me of something I 'learned' in my public school education, and then I laugh and laugh. So if these books challenge the way you see the world, that’s a good thing!

You can get the Tuttle Twins books at a discount by purchasing the whole set or multiples of a book, and there are books for teens, audiobook versions, and workbooks as well. Perfect for your friends who believe in small government and big individual freedoms. Check out TuttleTwin.com for more information on this unique series.

Read more reviews here.

Review: The Tuttle Twins and the Food Truck Disaster by @CBoyack

My review of The Tuttle Twins and the Food Truck Fiasco by Connor Boyack is live on Learning Tangent Magazine!

This is more than a book review for me because back in Feburary, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, tackled these same issues.

Last year, the town decided to allow food trucks. Not long after, a few businesses raised concerns about the food trucks hurting their own bottom line. At the same time, many other businesses, such as Fainting Goat Brewing, The Mill, and Draft Line Brewery, saw how food trucks benefited the town and its citizens. Unfortunately, the new regulations were passed.

The regulations limit food trucks to operating only two days a week, as well as ban them from commercial areas. Wow, really? Really.

If you're a local, you can follow The Mill, Draft Line Brewing, and the Fainting Goat Brewing Company on facebook to see when they're having special events with musicians and food trucks. You can also follow Flattz Signature Flatbreads, one of the food trucks that helped bring awareness to remove the regulations.

Seeing a book that explains these issues on a level that my gradeschooler can understand is wonderful. I don't often get political on my social media, but when it comes to educating our children, sometimes politics play a part and we are big believers in small government and deregulation. From that perspective, this book was perfect for my 1st grader, and my rising kindergartner now wants to run a lemonade stand.

Make sure you check out my review here!

Buy The Tuttle Twins and the Food Truck Fiasco by Connor Boyack, or any of the other Tuttle Twins books, directly from [ TuttleTwins.com ]

Read more reviews and find out about their teen books here.