The Tuttle Twins and the Creature from Jekyll Island

Tuttle Twins #3

by Connor Boyack

What kind of creature can steal your money? Join Ethan and Emily Tuttle in their exciting third adventure, as they uncover the curious mystery of how a powerful creature is stealing their grandparents' hard-earned savings, and how the twins are also being controlled by the same creature - without even knowing it!

Genres: Economics, Fiction, Politics, Childrens, School, Government, Kids

Audible Audio

First published October 15, 2015

About the author

Connor Boyack is founder and president of Libertas Institute, a libertarian think tank in Utah. In that capacity, he has spearheaded important policy reforms dealing with property rights, civil liberties, transparency, surveillance, and education freedom.

Connor is the author of several books, including the new Tuttle Twins series that teaches the principles of liberty to young children. Other books include Latter-day Liberty: A Gospel Approach to Government and Politics and its companion, Latter-day Responsibility: Choosing Liberty through Personal Accountability.

Connor's work has been publicly praised by former Representative Ron Paul, Judge Andrew Napolitano, Tom Woods, and other nationally recognized figures. He is a frequent commentator on current events and has appeared in local, national, and international interviews to publicize and comment on his work.

Reviews

[Patrick Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021-07-29 I listened to the audio book (edition not listed in GR), and have not read this paperback. This third book in the series is excellent. Wonderful dramatization of the history (briefly) of the Federal Reserve Board, how it controls the money supply and how that affects everyday people.

Very enjoyable. Very recommended to kids 8-14 and their parents especially.

See my other Tuttle Twins books reviews for more info on the whole marvelous series.

[Elliott · Rating 1 out of 5]

No kid browses a brick and mortar bookstore, picks up one of The Tuttle Twins books and begs their parents to buy it for them because local bookstores don't stock these. How these books get to children is either their parent notices they're sharing a bit too well and decides to counteract that, or the homeschooling lesson plan calls for some Chicago School mumbo-jumbo betwixt Intelligent Design and lunch. Either way, just like the Xeroxed spiral bound edition of The Turner Diaries, or a Hustler subscription these will come direct to you wrapped up so the statist mailman won't see.
In terms of children's literature I don't think I've ever seen a series of books as creepy as The Tuttle Twins, and The Tuttle Twins and the Creature from Jekyll Island is the creepiest of them all. Based on noted HIV denialist/John Birch Society polemicist/chemtrail connoisseur G. Edward Griffin's book of the same name this title sees the Tuttle Twins investigate the Federal Reserve.
Oh, and what a journey it is! Grandpa Tuttle says that his savings is getting stolen which allows for the Tuttle Twins to journey into the dark and paranoid world of front-temporal dementia...er...John Birch Society propaganda...er…"the important lessons that are left out of your child's curriculum."
Come to think of it I think I'd rather have my kids get a Hustler subscription...

[Dorine White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I really love this Tuttle Twins series. The author pulls no punches and goes straight for the truth. In this book the twins learn all about money, trade and the federal reserve. Told in such a way that even a young child could understand, the author delves into the economy and how the government controls everything with inflation.

I highly recommend this book, along with the other two in the series. They teach subjects that every child should know, but in today's world, are often pushed to the side or hushed up. On another note, the illustrations rock. They are bold, bright and colorful. The gigantic octopus really sets the mood as a horrifying creature that is after everyone's money. 5 stars!

[Matthew Collins · Rating 1 out of 5]

So it used to be that a Barenaked Ladies concert was the whitest thing out there... then these monstrosities came out.... Made by an author who clearly didn't even read Smith, or Jefferson, or any of their apparent influences... it's social studies for wealthy white kids to help make a new generation of tax evaders... delightful...

Not to mention that their facebook page shares shit from Jordan Peterson, yep that piece of shit bigot. These books should not be read by anyone, let alone children. If you want your kid to turn into a libertarian proud boy, then I guess this fits, but if you want your kids to understand actual complex problems, read elsewhere.

[Anita · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would advise against this series. Poor quality, didactic, ignorant, manipulative, anarchic, and misleading. This particular one teaches that kids should blow their money on hoarding because the government is a conspiracy. The solution it proposes is bartering.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

3/3/22 Reread this book today as a discussion starter on the current state of the American economy and the increasing inflation on everything from gas to groceries.

Fantastic story illustrating the concepts of fiat currency, inflation and the ever looming and sinister "creature" the Federal Reserve. Particularly fitting to open discussion with kids as we watch prices inflate with the Fed printing more and more money. Great teaching tool in an enjoyable story.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you explain the pros and cons of a government created currency? This book, while written for young readers, is very good at explaining. I felt as though I got a better grasp of how things work because of reading this book.
I would recommend it to anyone in any country.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Child read in conjunction with workbook. We will be covering The Beast from Jekyll Island in the near future followed by a field trip to Jekyll Island.

[Serenity · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and a half

[Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat with my daughter as she read this to me, as she did with the first edition and will do with the others. Tuttle Twins does a superb job of teaching fundamental economic principles in a way that is enjoyable for children complete with fun illustrations.

The "creature" from Jekyll Island is the driver of inflation, particularly the federal reserve. It teaches about the dangers behind paper currency and the devaluing of the dollar.

[Erin Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love the Tuttle Twins series. A great way to introduce complicated principles in a format easy enough for kids to understand. In this book, we learn about the (secret) creation of the Federal Reserve bank, how it effects the flow of money in our country, and increases or decreases its worth. I highly recommend this book!

[Congetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't feel this story was balanced. Yes, the government created the Federal Reserve, but many players (government, business) affect pricing, not just government. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first two.

[Living Truth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and informative read. All kids & adults need to know this!

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book for your kids to help them understand the Federal Reserve, cash flow and economy! Great homeschool family read.

[Michelle Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and fun way to introduce kids to information on inflation and money. We plan to do some activities to continue our discussions on these topics. This story was a great way to start the discussion and even our 4 and a half year old was able to understand the topic of inflation and provide her own description of what inflation would mean.

[Jodi Galland · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third Tuttle Twins installment is based on The Creature from Jeckyll Island by G. Edward Griffin. In this book, Ethan and Emily Tuttle learn about the Federal Reserve (a central bank), bartering, inflation, and the economy.

Grandma and Grandpa Tuttle visit the family for the county fair and farmers' market. The night before, their grandparents take them to see a movie and they discuss the expense of tickets and snacks in comparison to when the grandparents were younger. There's a discussion about the "monster" that is stealing Grandpa's money. At the fair, Ethan and Emily have honey to sell, so they can make money for cotton candy and roller coaster rides. Grandpa talks to them about bartering for tickets and how bartering was mostly replaced with gold and silver coins, but that bad rulers and other criminals would shave coins to get money for themselves. Then in 1910, powerful bankers and some people in the government held a secret meeting to create the Federal Reserve. This bank has the authority to create as much money as it wants, which drives down the value of the money we have, causing inflation.

This installment in the series was interesting, but I didn't care for it as much as the other two we've read so far. We talked a bit about it afterwards, but it didn't inspire some of the amazing conversations we had previously.

[Kenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. Why did grandpa tuttles savings become worth less when the creature created new money?

Inflation

2. What would be the disadvantages of a pure barter economy?

There would be no medium of exchange and people with different jobs would have a much harder time buying things

3. Why do governments like controlling and creating money?

idk

4. What are problems with fiat currency- and more importantly, what money system would be better for the economy?

I don't think this was covered in the book and I don't know what the problems with it are, or what other money systems would even be available. This seems like the best form of currency possible

[Nathan Titus · Rating 5 out of 5]

recently read this to a 5 year old at his request. very insightful, simple, elegant, explaining complex issue like hard vs fiat currency and the Federal Reserve in a way that even a kid can understand. Heck, this book could easily educate half the adults I know! So glad this series is out there, its a genius idea and brilliantly executed. Cant wait to be around more kids so I have an excuse to check out the rest of the books lol....

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great kids version of a book most American's should read. Opened up some good conversations with the little ones!

[Zaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this short book for kids that teaches them about the federal reserve (not federal and not a real reserve)

[wildct2003 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining, but does not give a better example of how to improve commerce. Good for scaring the reader without much clarification.

[Dianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've seen these self-published books around homeschooling circles and although they don't seem like my cup of tea, I thought I'd try out a couple when I found them at the library to see what they're really like. I was inclined to judge them negatively from the rude and passive-aggressive ads I've seen for the product, but I try to be open-minded, so here we are.

We open with Grandpa complaining that the government is stealing his money because of inflation. Inflation is explained in a very basic way, which is about the best thing offered up in this book. But it's also done in a very negative way, and no real solutions are offered (or they are mentioned without their respective downsides, which makes this book extremely biased).

These books are simplistically written, both in concept and in language. I'd say a second-grader could read this book easily, but the concepts are simplified to this level as well, leaving out all the nuance that would convey a more complete truth.

All in all, like much propaganda, this book conveys some truths and some half-truths while leaving out a lot of other relevant information. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're trying to indoctrinate your kid to a certain viewpoint. Personally, I prefer to expose my kids to multiple viewpoints and let them draw their own conclusions, so I would seek out a more balanced way to educate on economics and wait until they're old enough to understand more of the concepts involved. I think this book would tend to make them mistrustful of helpful systems we currently have in place as well as people in general while not giving them anything productive to do about it other than blow all their money as soon as they earn it.

[Leib Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A parent's review: Highly recommend

Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2020

This is a children's version of the relevant monetary parts of "Capitalism and Freedom" (by Milton Friedman.)

This is a simple little read, it occurs to me to ask: Why didn't somebody think of this before?

A lot of times when people want to inculcate someone with a political agenda, the first place that they go is to schools so that they can catch children when they are young.

The environmentalists have been doing this for a long time. (Think of how often you watch a cartoon where bad people are shown to be polluters, who are not polluting as a side effect of some productive economic activity. But, just doing it because they are "bad.")

And don't even get me started on the gender identity disorder movement. (Drag queen story hours all over the place.)

Why can't sauce for the goose be sauce for the gander?

If you have a worldview that you would like to impart to your kids, better that you catch them young and take the responsibility for their education.

The Libertarian world view has some number of pillars, and this is a substantial one. (Sound money, money as a medium of exchange and not something intrinsically valuable.)

Verdict: Strongly recommended

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Creature From Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin has been on my “to-read”” list for too long. However reading a book of this magnitude can be daunting. I know the reviews are phenomenal on both Goodreads and other book selling sites. Now that I have read the Tuttle Twins, I look forward to reading the actual book. In this book written for the middle school age reader the Tuttle Twins discover “the creature” (aka the Federal Reserve) that has so much control over our money supply. This book goes into the history of money with bartering and gold standard explained to our current system of government issued fiat currency. The causes of inflation and its effect on the economy and cost of living is written in a simplified manner (what is happening to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s savings). This book was written well for the young reader and gives a preliminary introduction to the power of the Federal Reserve, as well as inflation, savings, banking etc.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, a solid introductory piece of educational material from the Tuttle Twins.

This one sets its eyes on the Federal Reserve and the unlimited creation of money. We discuss inflation and fiat currency: ideas most kids will only know vaguely as something from the past or that doesn't affect them.

This one is solid, although it was also the most technical of the series so far while also seeming to miss large stretches of important material (like a gold standard for instance). It was hard to understand everything the Twins were trying to teach through their metaphor, but it serves as a good introduction to the ideas. This has become more relevant than ever and should be something more people are aware of.

[Kingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Tuttle Twins and the Creature from Jekyll Island" is a book by Connor Boyack. It's about the Tuttle Twins learning from their Grandpa about a creature that makes money and causes prices to go up. This creature is actually something called the Federal Reserve, and it's not a real monster but a group of people who control money.

I really liked Grandpa Tuttle the best because he tells great stories about this creature that make it easy to understand. There's also a really cool part where the Twins go to a theater with cool 3D effects and chairs the vibrate!

I think kids who are 7 years old and up would like this book, especially if they enjoy engaging stories that teach them something new.

[Robert Federline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second of the Tuttle Twin books I have read. They are actually very good basic presentations of their topics. The instant book is directed to the subject of economics: Money and the money supply and inflation and mediums of exchange.

The books are very basic, yet very clear, in their presentation of their topic. They are, however, not complete. Some of the topics are rather complex, such as economics and the money supply. They cannot honestly be said to be anything more than a base from which deeper and more complicated or complete discussions should be held.

I recommend these books, but would like to see more done on each topic.

[Heroes Academy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this weird monstser ateing moeny 1

the monstser 2

no! 3

[Nancy Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book well written but I cannot picture my great grandkids wanting to read it. Unless they are book worms. I purchased it for them I hoped that they’d read it but unless someone can get them to sit still and read it to them I can’t see it happening. Too distracted by games and sports. I was an avid reader as a kid but I could not even picture myself reading it as a kid. Good idea but not realistic. Adult interests and material even though written so a child could understand.

[Benjamin Ellefson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tuttle Twins and the Creatures from Jekyll Island is a delightful, entertaining book that educates kids on an important, often overlooked topic. It is a quick, easy read at only 60 pages with lots of pictures. It is ideal for kids new to reading.

Check out my full review on my blog: https://benjaminellefson.com/blog/tut...