Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (Illustrated Junior Libary)

This is one of my favorite books from childhood and, in a fit of readerly nostalgia, I decided to re-read it for the first time in decades.

You can't go home again.

I could see why I loved this book as a child but, oh does it have some issues. There are two single-parent households with no explanation as to what happened to the missing parents. Characters drop into the story with no introduction, just all of a sudden "Bob" is there and you're wondering who the hell "Bob" is. My largest issue with this book, though, lies in the idea of the rich older man swooping in and "rescuing" the Peppers from their poor-but-happy existence because he has a deep affection for a four-year-old. (I'm not sure if he offers to marry Mrs. Pepper or hire her show more as his housekeeper. Maybe they're one and the same to him. And I really don't want to think too deeply about his deep, immediate affection for Phronsie.)

I'm not giving this a star rating because grade school me gives it five stars with sparkles and rainbows and adult me would be feeling generous to give it two stars. show less

This was fairly typical fare for its era: poor child melts the heart of a crotchety old rich man, with lots feel good moments and unlikely coincidences. I enjoyed the first part of the story the most, the Pepper family were resourceful and very likeable. Once they became entwined with the King family I found it less enjoyable. I just didn't like Mr King; I found him controlling and manipulative. However I enjoyed it enough to go on to the sequel.

I don't remember this from my childhood. I love visiting the pleasant land of Classic children's books too much to have considered giving this one up but it isn't the best for an adult. The first half reminded me of Dick and Jane type readers. There were boisterous siblings interacting while speaking in stilted language. The action centers on baby sister Phronsie. I had an audio book. I kept imagining reader-style illustrations. I got the feeling that the author had never been poor herself. Her Wikipedia bio seems to confirm this. The Pepper family seems to be her idea of what the deserving poor should be. Alcott and Dickens used more of their own life.

I thought I had read this as a child, but I didn't remember the story at all. Maybe it was my mother who talked about it often as she was also from a family of five. I liked the book, but I don't think it would hold the interest of children today.

Times are tough around the little brown house! The widowed Mrs. Pepper has to sew all day long just to earn enough to pay the rent and to feed the five growing Peppers. But she faces poverty and trouble with a stout heart, a smiling face, and the help of her jolly brood: blue-eyed Ben, the eldest and the man of the house at the age of 11; pretty Polly, so eager to cook for the family and make everyone happy and comfortable; and the three littlest Peppers, Joel, Davie, and baby Phronsie.

A favorite for generations, this heartwarming classic first appeared in 1880. Since then, it has inspired countless young imaginations with its tender tales of the ways in which courage and good cheer can overcome adversity.

"The Five Little Peppers" are Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie, and Phronsie. Their father died when Phronsie was a baby and Mrs. Pepper struggles to earn enough money to support the family. Despite their poverty, they are a loving family, full of spirit and adventure. Ben and Polly do what they can to support the family, but a bout with measles threatens the well being of the entire Pepper clan, especially Joel and Polly. The family has other adventures and befriend Jasper King during one of them. This friendship will enrich their lives in ways they never thought would be possible.

It's always interesting as an adult to reread a book that I loved as a child. When I was young I thought how much fun the Peppers had and longed to belong to a large show more family. As an adult, I realize how poor the family really was and how quickly the children had to grow up. As a child I thought how terrible it was that Polly couldn't read for days on end because of the measles; as an adult I realize the Peppers couldn't even afford to buy books.

First published in 1881, "The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" is old-fashioned (the doctor even makes house calls!), but still enjoyable. The Peppers are all delightful children, with Joel being the most honest of the bunch as he complains about having to eat the same food every day. Margaret Sidney was a talented author, who could make even inanimate objects, such as the stove, seem alive. The children's adventures may seem simple to today's young readers, who are used to Harry Potter and the like, but it's a refreshing change. show less

Two stars for this abysmal recording of a 4 star classic children's book. Sally Darling was NOT the woman for this job. Her voice makes 11 year old Polly sound like a middle aged matron from the first half of the twentieth century or earlier, and she is greatly affected in her entire reading, most particularly when it comes to the children. If this were my first introduction to this book, I'd have been turned off of it completely during the first CD.

There are plenty of other recordings of this book, not necessarily at my library, and they might be better. Or you can read it in print. Bear in mind that it was published in 1880 and what children's literature was expected to be then.