"The Walton Street Tycoons" by Jim Lesczynski

This work is a fine piece of Libertarian rhetoric disguised as a juvenile novel. It succeeds as a promotional manual for Libertarian ideas; not so much as a piece of fiction. The central problem lies in the portrayal of 12-year-old Mark Hoffman, a smart-alecky kid who ends up running a vastly successful desserts business, employing his mom and numerous other kids, twisting the metaphorical arm of the city council to allow him to not pay taxes, carry a gun, and pay his underage employees whatever he pleases.

The author does a pretty good job in setting up the framework for this business success, although the likelihood of any middle school anywhere becoming such a hotbed of entrepreneurial fervor seems vanishingly small. But Mark almost never comes across as a 12-year-old boy - the main failing of the novel. His thought processes and words are those of a sarcastic 20-something Libertarian. His penchant for making out with his girlfriend seems like the actions of someone 4 or more years his senior, as do his determination, focus and parental attitude toward his brother. The few moments of brotherly banter that do seem appropriate for kids of their age seem shoehorned into the story.

The ease with which the boys overcome all obstacles strikes me as quite unrealistic, and I'm not just saying this because of the Libertarian bent of the novel. I've read my share of YA books, and a more genuine struggle makes for a better read. It's hard to take the writer seriously when all it takes to defeat the school bully is a single dose of laxative brownies.

Not a great work, but I'd be happy to read something similar that was executed better.