This was a sweet, calm story about a family and their adventures. I listened with my daughter, and she loved it.

My grandmother gave me a copy of this when I was a girl, and it wasn't a complete edition. When I read the complete book to my children, I wondered why all children's literature isn't this sweet. We love it!

This book is so sweet! I don't know how many times I've read it, but it never gets old. Every time I read it, it makes me laugh so hard I cry, but it's also very touching. What a happy world it would be if we all treated misfortune the way this family did! Not complaining or seeking pity, but always working hard to overcome our troubles and remembering what really matters.

Ha! Another book I read when I was a little girl and loved! Just don't ask me anything about it. But I do recall loving it; LOL come on guys, it's been at least 50 yrs ;+/

I remember reading this book with my mother - and it was her copy!

So I think that is why I gave it four stars - it brings good memories of growing up.

I no longer know what the story was about - but I think they were very poor.

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 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.

The Pepper family are quite poor, living in a small house in the country. They have five children who all get the measles, and poor little Polly is in serious danger. A kind doctor helps the family and nurses them back to health.
One day little four-year-old Fronzie Pepper is nearly kidnapped and is rescued by Jasper, a boy from a wealthy family on vacation in the country. The two families start up an unlikely friendship, leading to opportunities and adventures for the Pepper family.

This is such a sweet and wholesome story! I love all the cute little Pepper children. The writing is charming, and the story is simple but interesting. I especially loved reading about all the Pepper's preparations for Christmas. They try so much to be grateful for the few little things they have, and they are rewarded for their goodness.

"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 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.

2023: Now a third read through with my little 7 year old (and the 11 year old tagging along). So simple and sweet and worth enjoying together as a family!

2020: Updated after another read with just my daughter. She enjoyed reading about Mamsie and her precious children, and still the earlier chapters are our favorite!

My children and I grew to love this quaint story about a family of simple means and deep pleasures. I have to admit that halfway through the book when their circumstances began to change, I liked the story and characters less. There was such appeal in the simple life!

I learned that this was a favorite of my mother's so it became a must read. She and her four best friends called themselves 'the five peppers', even through high school, so for them it was one of those wonderful shared memories that, if we are fortunate to have something similar, we consider ourselves very lucky. Those are the memories that stay with us forever. There's nothing even slightly similar or comparable to life today and life in the early 20th century other than the obvious --- family and friends appreciating each other, values, and knowing what's really important. That's forever stuff. All that changes are income, transportation, wardrobe and housing !


together

A cute family story :). I read this with my 8 and 6 year old, and they really enjoyed it! I love how caring the siblings are with each other- so many examples of compassion and service and putting each other first. I also love how willing they are to help their mom;)! I'd be lying if I said I didn't see a noticeable difference in my 6 year old daughter's willingness to help around the house after reading this book ;). Polly was definitely her favorite character and I definitely don't mind her trying to emulate Polly's good qualities ;).

The language of the book, and the nature of the writing (the way certain phrases were written out) made this a little harder to read as a read-aloud. I think I would have liked it better personally just reading it to myself- but then I couldn't have shared it with my children :).

I do think it's important to note- if your kids don't know the secret about Santa just yet, proceed with caution. The Christmas chapter was SO sweet, but it raised some questions about Santa that I just wasn't ready to bring up with my 8 year old yet and I wish I had had a little heads up beforehand. Not that that's the most critical thing ever, but I do want my kids to enjoy the magic for as long as they can :). Just a heads up for other parents ;).

This is definitely an older book and it shows. With little details like the gas lighter was coming around because dusk had just started, are one of the reasons why I keep reading this book.