The Peterkin Papers (Dover Children's Classics)

::Cue the old-fashioned music::When I was a kid we were dirt-clod poor and some charity gave my family a partial set of Young Readers Classics. My hardbound copy of The Peterkin Papers was one of the volumes. I read it over and over until the bindings wore thin. Discovering this public domain gem for Kindle was a joy. Even as an adult, the stories still have the power to delight and amuse. It seems the Peterkins haven't gotten any more sensible in all the decades they slumbered in my memory. Also, as a fledgling writer my self, the subtle, relentless, comedic voice is well worth studying and trying to emulate.Tired of young readers' stories that rely on sex, violence and sparkly vampires? Revisit this classic. Only complaint are small formatting errors in the text. It needs a good going over by an ebook specialist.

I have enjoyed this book for many years. I have the one of the original printings. And did not want to have it out reading it, where it could be damaged or lost. So I got this Kindle version. I have read it several time over the years. I find it funny, light and entertaining. With all of it's unusual daily happenings that the Peterkin's get into. If you are looking for a book that is not serious, and want an easy read. Or one that your children would like to read. I highly recommend this. Even though it was written almost 100 years ago it is still a great book. One of those not too serious older books that will always good.

Although these stories were written in the 1860's they are just as enjoyable as any story that is written today. I like how it takes the family almost the whole story before they finally arrive at a simple solution-and I enjoy reading about all that they go through to get to that solution.It really is a testament to Lucretia Hale's writing talent that her stories still bring entertainment and amusement to readers over a hundred years after they were written.

I remember my fascination with these books when I was a child, and I downloaded this because I thought my 5 year old granddaughter would enjoy them. They were quite wordy, and there were no pictures. Also, the first letter or word of every story was truncated. The "okay" rating is due to the truncation. I do think they are wonderful stories but perhaps for a child who is 7 to 9 years old, not 5. :) I also think the illustrations added a lot to the quality, so even though it was a free download, it would have been much more enjoyable as the paper book I remember.

I grew up on some of these stories, and my kids did too -- as soon as I realized that there were many of these stories (written for a Boston newspaper in the 19th century) and they had been collected into a book. Take these stories in small doses. The silly pickles that the Perterkins get themselves into can seem repetitious after a while.

A repeat of a storybook from my childhood.Such fun to read aloud.

Very funny. Enjoyable if you understand culture at the turn of the century (20th).Recommended to Philadelphians, especially "wise" ladies.:)

Nineteenth century tales of a dopey family. Dated, I suppose, but I love it.