DNF - 40 pages in,,, dnf - not even for a Reading Challenge (Children's Classic you've never read).

I'll read Kidnapped instead.

This is a children's book first published in 1881. Poverty brings hardships. This book puts a positive spin on that. The moral of this story is that even if you are poor and enter into child labor, if you manage to keep a stiff upper lip and are kind, good things will happen. We all need stories like that from time to time.

Now with that being said, it was just too sweet for my liking. I'll add a star because it was age appropriate for its intended target audience. So 3 stars.

Very sweet, if a bit contrived at times. The general atmosphere of loving family comes through as very genuine. I almost gave up on it after the first two chapters, thinking it was impossibly saccharine and clique — however, things happened and the characters became real and very likeable. I’m glad to have read it, as I don’t believe I ever did as a child.

Audible.com 6 hours 50 min. Narrated by Grace Conlin (A)

While looking for a short novel to read after listening to six biographies, this dear book from my childhood popped up for free. I wondered if it would stand the test of time. My mother also loved to read. A child of the Depression, she had the advantage of living in Washington, D.C. She didn't have much except free access to libraries, and this book had been one of her favorites. In her early teens she was given a number a books by a spinster who lived in their tenement, and this book was one of them. She saved these books and they were part of my first library. Unfortunately the books were later stored in a basement and were lost as the result of flooding in the late sixties. I'm sure I must have read the Peppers multiple times for me to remember as much as I did. When I came down with measles as a child, my mother kept me in a darkened room, and I know she was fearful for my eyesight just like Polly Pepper's mother was. Ah, the wonderful advantage of modern vaccines.
I had no idea these books were still in print, much less available as recorded books. Are the stories dated? Yes. It was first published in 1881. Are the characters well-developed? Not really. Are the five Pepper children memorable? Yes! Did listening remind me of my mother's love and ministering care? Most definitely! For sentimental reasons I'd give this book 5 stars!

I think I have a high tolerance for old-fashioned preciousness and sentiment in classic kids' books, but Five Little Peppers and How They Grew is something else again. It has the sickly sweet tone of the Bobbsey Twins books but without it being over-the-top enough to be entertaining. There is lots of crying, and "'twas" and "'tisn't", and scolding of the boys for saying dreadful things like "My whockety!". There is even an agonizingly drawn-out scene of collaborative letter-writing. Little Phronsie is like an earlier version of Flossie Bobbsey, and so is mildly entertaining due to the sheer sugariness of her character. But all the other characters just seem to be dull archetypes, and the plot is mostly melodrama.

Five Little Peppers is a harmless but extremely tedious story. I can understand why some people enjoy the simplicity and innocence of the story, but there are plenty of kids' books that are pleasant and wholesome while still having an interesting plot and relatable characters.

A sweet tale of a poor family who worked together and sacrificed for each other. I enjoyed this book when I read it as a child. The first and second books were the best in the series.

3.5⭐
Listened to this with my daughter. She enjoyed it but it was probably a bit advanced for her, I had to stop every little bit and explain what was going on. Phronsie was her favorite!

I remembered this very fondly, but on re-read I discovered that the second part was entirely blocked out of my memory. No recollection of reading it at all. Perhaps I had to return the book to the library before finishing? A dog -- or younger sibling -- chewed the last half into shreds?

The start, with the Peppers in their Little Brown House and doing their best to make ends meet, is excellent. This is the part I recalled. But then prosperity strikes, and the two girls of the family are surrounded by kindly, loving people who continually discuss how wonderful the aforesaid girls are and "gentle reader fwowed up".

4.5/5 for before fortune smiles on the Peppers, 2/5 for the aftermath. I'll average it out to a "3".

Available on Gutenberg.

A brilliant children's classic - sweet, simple, wholesome family story.

What a delightful book! This book is written beautifully and it is such a delight to read about the pepper family and their friends in the little brown house! I highly encourage anyone and everyone to read this book!

I hadn't read this book in years. I had even forgotten some of the order of the story. I read it several times when I was a kid. I liked what a good sister Polly was to her younger siblings. This book will always have a special place in my heart.

Good book for kids. Seeing the happiness from a family living in poverty. Teaches us to have a good attitude regardless of our circumstances...krb 2/10/16