• The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

  • By: Margaret Sidney
  • Narrated by: Grace Conlin
  • Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (276 ratings)

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The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew  By  cover art

The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

By: Margaret Sidney
Narrated by: Grace Conlin
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Publisher's summary

The Five Little Peppers are an adorable family of children growing up in a small town and cared for by their widowed mother. She is so poor that the pittance she earns as the town seamstress fails to support or even sustain the family.

Everything happens to this brood while mother is away sewing, but no matter how dangerous the situation, they come out of it safe and smiling. The children are happy despite their poverty, and the smallest pleasures cause delight and merriment in the little house. When the eldest daughter is offered a chance to be adopted by a rich family, she chooses to return to her poor but happy home.

(P)1994 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the seminal books of American children's fiction....Grace Conlin brings flair and passion to the task and does a superb job." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

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One of my childhood favorites brought to life

What did you love best about The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew?

This is one of the books my mother read to me many times before I was able to read and re-read it myself. I was reminded of how faithfully the little Pepper family "toughed-out" their meager little lives together.

What did you like best about this story?

The positive attitude of the family members and the loyalty to each other

Which scene was your favorite?

When little Phronsie followed the organ grinder out of town and was saved by the big dog and the boy that came to be such a special friend.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Obviously depicting times after the American Civil War, judging by the date of first printing, I enjoyed the demonstration of commradarie in the little town, and the way everyone stuck together to help and support the least fortunate.

Any additional comments?

Short but enjoyable listen. Brought back many pleasant memories of childhood enchantment with the characters.

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6 people found this helpful

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Charming!

Beautiful story of a beautiful family! Definitely a classic to enjoy and share with little ones in your life

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3 people found this helpful

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Charming nostalgia

Some may find the family’s determined cheerfulness in their trials of poverty a bit unbelievable but the book does reveal the values of the time- stop complaining, get to work, use your creativity and be kind= good will follow. Rather refreshing reminder. My grandparents lived their lives this way, through the Great Depression and the uncertainty and shortages that came through WWII. I loved the Peppers.

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2 people found this helpful

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We enjoyed this book so much!

My children and I are so glad we found this gem again. Old books are the best! The narrator did a fantastic job. My children want to emulate the older Peppers and Jasper now. Good books are great teachers!

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2 people found this helpful

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Cute story but not very engaging

The story is cute but there’s nothing to really look forward to as you read.

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1 person found this helpful

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Five little peppers!

I Love these books! They are great! My sister and I always listen to the five little peppers! ❤️

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sweet old book. love the ending!

what a great find. has a bit of history and gives some good perspective that helped my family feel more fortunate and appreciative of what we have. sweet kids, a few crazy antics and a bit of a surprise twist make this a wonderful book.

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1 person found this helpful

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The Loving little peppers

I love this story. Polly is my favorite character. She is nice and she always sees the good in the worst times. Franzi is so nice and makes me laugh. Joel is a nice, always trying to be as good as Davie. Ben always succeeds in making all the little peppers happy. Davie is always trying not to hurt his mother’s feelings. Mrs. pepper is so kind and brings out the best in her children. Jasper is so nice and he always tries making the five Little peppers happy. Mr. King, one of his very few pleasures, is making Franzi happy. Franzi bakes him the Gingerbread man. Prince is a very loyal dog.

-Selah age 9

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A Story Beloved by Five Generations

This charming family entertained my grandmother, my mother, me & my siblings, my nieces & nephews, and now, their children. It’s a wonderful story, brought to life by a splendid narrator. What luck to have found it on Audible!

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Peppers

Great story! Beautiful selfless relationships! Always thinking of others with a touch of thinking of self.

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