Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: The Littles
The Littles is a timeless favorite that's been enjoyed for decades. Ready to grab the attention of a new generation, fresh cover art brings an updated look to this classic series.
Meet the Littles, a family like any other but with a few tiny differences! They live in the walls of the Bigg family house where they get everything they need. In return they make sure the Bigg house is always in good repair. When the Biggs go away for the summer the Newcombs come to stay in their house. And the Newcombs are slobs! The mess the Newcombs make attracts one of the Littles biggest enemies: mice! Just when it seems like things can't get any worse, they bring a cat to live with them. How will this little family get out of such big trouble?
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JOHN PETERSON wrote many books for young readers. The Littles has been a perennial favourite among elementary-school children, and the stories have been the inspiration for a morning cartoon show as well as two animated feature films.
John Lawrence Peterson was born and raised in Bradford, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Bradford High School in 1941, he began studying illustration at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. In 1943, he left the Pratt Institute and volunteered for the paratroopers. He fought for three years with the 11th Airborne Division and took part in combat on Leyte and Luzon in the Philippine Islands during World War II.
After the conclusion of the war, Peterson returned to his studies and graduated from the Pratt Institute in 1948. He began working as a freelance illustrator in New York City, where he contributed to advertising campaigns, magazines, and textbooks. But he had hopes of illustrating children's books.
In 1964, he wrote a children's book with his wife, Holly Peterson, solely so that he could illustrate it. That book, originally entitled Tony's Treasure Hunt and eventually renamed Terry's Treasure Hunt, has sold over 1,000,000 copies in paperback. In writing Terry's Treasure Hunt, Peterson discovered that he enjoyed writing more than illustrating; he then went on to write and illustrate The Secret Hide-Out and Enemies of the Secret Hide-Out, which sold 2,700,000 copies combined in hardcover and paperback editions. Although his first three books achieved notoriety, his greatest success has come from being the author of the Littles Books Series. Written at the nine to 12 year old reading level and recommended as pre-chapter books, the 14 book series about the life of a tiny family that lives in the walls of the Biggs family's house has 10,500,000 copies in print. Special editions of the Littles Books have been published in Great Britain, Israel, and Iceland. Littles Books were also the basis of a Saturday morning cartoon, The Littles, as well as two full-length animated films, Here Come the Littles, and Liberty and the Littles. Author Teddy Slater enjoyed the series so much that he recently began working with John Peterson to produce and co-author The Littles First Readers Series: a series based on the Littles Books but geared toward children at the four to eight year old reading level.
Peterson has written over 50 children's books, 26 of which have been published. In addition to writing and illustrating books, Peterson has traveled to 34 states, including revisiting his homestate of Pennsylvania, to speak and present a slide show, How I Write Books and How They are Published, to children, teachers, and librarians on behalf of his publisher, Scholastic Inc. Also, he has been a member of the Author's Guild for over 30 years.
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Littles, June 30, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: The Littles (Paperback)
Hi! My name is Cindy. I am nine years old. I just finished reading a book called The Littles, and it is by John Peterson. The book is about a little family that lives inside the wall of Mr. Bigg's house. They look a lot like humans, but they are small and they have tails. Everyday they go to the kitchen and get some food that are leftovers from Mr. Bigg's dinner. Those in the family are the grandfather, grandmother, Tom the brother, Lucy the sister, mom and dad. One evening Mr.Bigg wanted to go for a vacation, and he wanted to rent his house. For one week a lady named Lizzy and a man named Mr. Newcomb rented Mr. Bigg's house. These people didn't eat much so the Littles wanted them to leave. They wanted Mr. Bigg to come back from his vacation. They had a plan to get rid of these people. The plan was to scare them into thinking that the house had mice. ...
I liked this book because it is a chapter book. I want everyone to read this book. I give this book five stars because it is so good.
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I remember enjoying these books years ago. My son who is four has really enjoyed reading chapter books at night. So I bought this one, and he loved it.
The Littles are tiny people with tails. They live in the walls of the home of the Biggs. The Littles use odds and ends that the Biggs no longer need to build an elevator, eat etc.
In this story the Biggs go on vacation and the Littles have new big people living in the home. For three weeks the Newcombs don't take out the garbage and mice come. There is excitement and bravery.
This is an adorable book. We are buying more.
Enjoy.
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I purchased this book for my first grader and it was a great start to chapter books. The story is captivating and very immaginative. I would highly recommend this book, and the entire series, for a jumping off point for new readers.
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