The Adventures of Joel Pepper

Five Little Peppers #6

by Margaret Sidney

There sat Polly on the big stone that served as a step for the back door, with her hands folded in her lap. Little Davie skipped by Joel, and ran up to her, with a flushed face.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Classics, Young Adult, Historical Fiction

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

Margaret Sidney was the pen name of American author and publisher Harriett Lothrop, best known for creating the enduring Five Little Peppers series, one of the most popular works of American children's literature of the late 19th century. Raised in a cultured and literary household in New Haven, she developed an early passion for storytelling and imaginative writing, though she did not publish until her mid-thirties. Her breakthrough came with short stories for the magazine Wide Awake, whose enthusiastic reception led to the publication of Five Little Peppers in 1881 and a long-running series that followed the Pepper family through numerous sequels. Writing under the name Margaret Sidney, she became widely read by generations of young audiences. After the death of her husband, publisher Daniel Lothrop, she successfully managed his publishing firm while raising their daughter, later returning to writing and continuing the Pepper books. Beyond literature, she played a significant role in American cultural life, helping to establish Concord, Massachusetts, as a literary center and working to preserve historic homes. She was also the founder of the Children of the American Revolution, reflecting her strong interest in history, education, and civic values.

Reviews

[J.L. Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, how I loved this books as a child. They were very dear to me and are firmly entrenched into my memory strong enough to have become parts of my character. There are is a veritable plethora of life examples and lessons to be learned through these works of literature that take us back to a simpler time and place, entirely different family values and senses or morality and ethics; there is much to be learned from these simple books. Most of all, family and love, loyalty and a moral compass much needed in today's society, camaraderie and ...well, the list is entirely too long. I think the books are relevant to the youth of today, if nothing else to provide an example that though some things change with time, a great many others do not.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is best read in context with the other books. I read the original stories years ago, and reading this one now, I did not like the behavior of this child at all. Was the author describing the actions of a boy with ADHD?

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much drama! Joel is quite an exhausting child, so glad none of mine were like him.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable installment filling in pieces of the original stories.

[Beka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some Joel Pepper adventures from the Little Brown House days. Some of these have been referenced in other books, so it was nice to read more about them.

[Kate McMurry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Five Little Peppers are back in the little brown house

I wasn't expecting this novel to involve Joel as a 9-year-old child. Its events very clearly seem to occur prior to the events of the very first book in this series. It's not much fun revisiting the Pepper family, in direst poverty in Badgertown, after reading about their life in the lap of luxury at the King mansion in the city. It's also disappointing, after offering multiple other books in this series in which Joel is in his early teens, for the author to retreat to Joel at such an immature, obstreperous age. As a howling, weeping child, he doesn't make a very inspiring or entertaining hero.

[Monica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many of the same stories told in other books.

[Sarah Remsing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joel’s little adventures and lessons are so entertaining, and more cohesive than Polly’s stories strung together