Lucretia P. Hale (1820–1900)

This is the most marvelous funny little book! I looked for years as an adult for it, unable to recall the title...then found the very copy I had read as a child in my brother's library! It's a 1924 publication, inscribed from one grand aunt to another at Christmas 1945. I'm supposing that they were used book fans then too. The gifter was a librarian for many years:) The Peterkins are lacking common-sense, somewhat like Amelia Bedelia, and their troubles are laugh out loud funny even now. show more Fairly timeless and very charming. show less

The Peterkins are a rather unusual family living somewhere in New England (Massachusetts, I think, as Boston is mentioned with some regularity). The family consists of Mr. and Mrs. Peterkin and their children, Agamemnon, Elizabeth Eliza, Solomon John, and the three little boys (with their ubiquitous India-rubber boots). The family is always having humorous adventures and problems while trying to accomplish simple tasks of daily living.

I enjoyed The Peterkin Papers very much, although I show more didn't find them as laugh-out-loud funny now as I did when I read them in elementary school. The book, which is a collection of short stories, is intended for children, and although it's over 100 years old, I think today's children will still see the humor in the situations in which the Peterkins find themselves. The book also provides a window into how people lived in the late 1800s. My only criticism is that as an adult, I realize that as silly as the Peterkins are, it's a wonder they manage to stay alive. show less

I did not like this book and feel that most children would not. Overall, I do not feel like students would connect with the plot. Children’s books should be about relatable topics and I don’t feel like the story of a woman putting salt in her coffee is very relatable. Also, I feel as if the plot drags on. The woman who put salt in her coffee tried to fix it with the help of a chemist and herbs. I feel like children would automatically or quickly think that the woman should just make a show more new cup of coffee and they would not be able to focus on the story or understand its message. This is not a story I would use in my classroom because I didn’t find myself intrigued by it at all. The overall message of the story is that sometimes the solution to an issue is something simple and you do not have to make everything an elaborate issue; use your common sense. show less

Genre: Fantasy/informational
Age Appropriateness: primary
Media: watercolor, pen and ink
Characterization: Mrs. Peterkin is a flat and static character. The only thing we really know about her is that she is upset because she put salt instead of sugar in her coffee. She doesn't change any of her opinions, except that the coffee tastes bad.
Plot: person against nature/accident
Review: This book is a great fantasy because it is completely unrealistic that Mrs. Peterkin could drink the coffee after show more adding all of the chemicals and herbs, yet you still want to see if she will drink it and if one of them will make it taste better. The book getts you so involved with finding a method of taking the salt taste out of the coffee that you forget that it would easier to make a new cup. Also it is a good informational book because it lists all of the chemicals and herbs. show less