I have been a reader all my life and it is something that I have been able to pass down to all my children. Not only does reading pave a colorful road for your imagination to soar to new heights it also links us to History, past lives and practical stories for us to pull from to create a better life for ourselves.  I enjoy adding books into our homeschool day to really bring what we are learning to life and to help them see a particular concept in an everyday occurrence.  This is exactly my first response when I discovered The Tuttle Twins and the Road To Surfdom.

Even though this book is going to teach your kiddos about central planning, unintended consequences and a good look into our government this book is brain food... light and tasty, but nutrient filled and not watered down.  The recommended age range for all The Tuttle Twin books is 5-11. This was a perfect fit for Kaden.  Days after he read this 60 page book he was able to explain in detail what central planning, collectivism and individualism is.  He was able to relate to the story and compare it to a situation that happened in our own lives where a family member lost her house and land because of a road widening situation.

The story begins when an extended family get together at their favorite beach turns a little sour as they are faced with detours, traffic and shocking discoveries on the boardwalk.  The Dad is a reporter, so he and the Tuttle Twins set out to find out what happened.  They reach out to the few surviving shop owners, the locals who are selling their homes and even business owners that are closed down and moving on.  After collecting local information they head to where all the hype is down the newly built road that ended at Surfdom. 

They end up spending an afternoon at the newly designed beach and boardwalk and the twins benefit from a lesson that naturally occurred while they were building their giant sandcastle.  I'll just say that even though there was good intentions with the sandcastle making unforeseen consequences took center stage quickly. 

There is much more to this exciting book, I don't want to spoil all the treasures in it.  I highly encourage you to seek out the Tuttle Twins to fill the gap your home library may have.  I know I didn't have books that brought light on subjects like laws, the government and economics the way that this book has.  Another great extra is that at the back of this book is some discussion questions, a glossary and a link to visit to download a ton of fun activities.  I find doing these extra activities really reinforces what your child has read.  I know Kaden and I have shared a few great conversations regarding all that we have both learned in this book and we look forward to reading more of The Tuttle Twins.

-Product review by Sheila Quach, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March, 2017