and how they grew

Few nineteenth-century series are familiar to readers, young or old, today. One series that is recognized today is the “Little Peppers,” twelve titles published from 1880 to 1916. The first book, shown here in facsimile, appeared first in installments in the popular children’s magazine Wide Awake in 1880.

The series chronicles the tribulations and triumphs of the five Pepper children and their mother after the untimely death of their father. The “Little Peppers” series is one of a number in the Girls’ Books in Series Collection at UNCG that can qualify as both a boys’ and a girls’ series, both genders being equally represented.

-Dr. William K. Finley

An Exhibit
Hodges Reading Room
February 15 – May 15, 2010