Customer Reviews

Peppermints in the Parlor

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A bowl of lovely red and white peppermints waits on a table in the parlor . . . but the residents of Sugar Hill Hall are not allowed to touch them. That image sticks with me after finishing the final pages of Ms. Wallace's delightful adventure tale of a young orphan and the dire situation she finds herself in. This Victorian story of dramatic suspense is a perfect story for young readers just starting to break into longer fiction and craving something with adventure and intrigue.

Young Emily Luccock has recently lost her parents, and she is now going to live with her Aunt and Uncle Twice at Sugar Hill Hall, a fine mansion in San Francisco. Emily remembers her visits to see her Aunt and Uncle fondly and is looking forward to seeing them again. But something has gone terribly wrong. Aunt Twice has become a timid woman forced to be a servant in her own home, and Uncle Twice is nowhere to be found. The entirety of Sugar Hill appears to be under the thumb of the icy and forbidding Mrs. Meeching, and Emily is made a virtual slave, working in the kitchen and cleaning the rooms of the despairing old men and women who reside in the rooms of the house. But young Emily is not about to give up without a fight. She's determined to bring sunshine back to Sugar Hill and to discover what has happened to Uncle Twice. With the help of Kipper, a redheaded boy from town, Emily pits herself against the frightful Mrs. Meeching, and all the secrets hidden in Sugar Hill Hall. Ms. Wallace has provided a rousing adventure story that kicks off from the first page and never slows down until the satisfying ending. The story elements aren't particularly original, but the author uses them to good effect with engaging writing that makes us care about our heroes and hate the villains as the story progresses. Emily, for all her apparent fragility, proves herself to be tough in spirit, and to have a caring heart for the plight of others. She's likeable without being overly sweet or too plucky. Kipper adds to the flavor and fun with his cheerful commentary and use of street slang.

While the story has its dark elements: murder, betrayal, cruelty, Emily and Kipper's adventure doesn't become too frightening either. The story remains just scary and exciting enough for enjoyment of 9-12 year olds, but doesn't become gory or chilling. The book itself is a short read--those who enjoy such books as A Series of Unfortunate Events and want more of the type would probably find this title to their liking. It's also a good recommendation for young readers who want something with action and adventure, but require something without any fantasy or supernatural elements to it. If I have any complaints about the story, its that I felt the secrets unraveled a bit too quickly and all at once towards the end of the story. After wondering for so long what is going on and what happened to Uncle Twice, readers are provided the answers in short order--just in time for the final confrontations. Despite this, I found myself enjoying the entire story--and I particularly liked how the element of peppermints framed the tale. For those who enjoy this stand-alone adventure, Ms. Wallace has written a follow up story with the further adventures of Emily Luccock titled The Perils of the Peppermints. Readers might also want to check out The Half a Moon Inn by Paul Fleischman and the Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

When I first saw the cover of this book I thought it would be one of those trashy, dull mysteries (Who stole the peppermint candy from the christmas feast?!?) then I saw the sequal, with it's pretty, intresting cover, and began to reconsider buying the first one (if only so I could understand the sequal). I started to read it and was amazed. It has an amazing plot, and is definatly one of the best books I have ever read, and I've read a lot of books. It is completely Dickensian without the slow-moving plot, and hard to understand language that most children find boring and discouraging. It is a wonderful Victorian Melodrama! I LOVE THIS BOOK!

I must say that it has been many years since I first read Peppermints in the Parlor, but I remember my sixth grade teacher assigning us this book and I became so attached to it that I sat down and read the entire book in one day! And for me that was an extremely big deal because I had never really liked to read. Now I liked To Kill A Mockingbird, A Brave New World, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but out of all the books I read in school I must say that this was by far the one book that stood out the most to me! Even if you're not a kid this book will thoroughly entertain you! This book was the first to spark my interest in reading and I always keep searching for books that can entertain me the way that this one did. While my taste in reading material has matured as I've gotten older, this book has stayed at the top of my favorites list. Once you read this book you will understand just why it changed my outlook on reading, it was the first book that I found to be fun!!!

"Peppermints in the Parlor" is one of those books you never forget. The characters creep into your heart, curl up there, and won't leave. Emily, the little girl who finds herself in frightening and inexplicable distress at the beginning of the book, has become more like a real little girl to me each time I've read the book. In fact, she becomes more like ME every time I read her story. Last summer some people in Alexandria, Virginia, produced the novel as a musical and I realized after seeing the characters on the stage that the book is so vivid it really needs no dramatization (although the musical version was a lot of fun and I liked the songs.) I can hear the characters talking as I read. I have favorite scenes that are fresh every time I read them: an incident regarding a tea bag that never fails to shock me; the day when a kitten arrives at Sugarhill Hall bringing with it tremendous hope for the old people. I feel bad for Emily and the other characters as they struggle with the miseries at the beautiful old house, but I know that things will work out in the end just as I would have them do. I'm looking forward to the audio version.

I have not read this book in a long time and have been searching for it. I think it is an excellent piece of literature that isn't read enough. When I was in 4rth grade my teacher read it to the class. It has been one of my favorite books since! This book brings to my mind the story of A Little Princess! I think that Peppermints in the Parlor is alot like A Little Princess in many different ways. One way they are alike is that both young girls are orphaned(or so they think). Both are treated poorly and still are very polite-like girls. I enjoyed the personalities of the characters as much as the plot which was truly amazing. It is a book that is still read to the students in my old teachers class today because it is something you can learn from and enjoy. Read it, you won't regret it!

Emily's parents have been killed and now she has been left an orphan to live with her aunt and uncle at the cheery old mansion known as Sugar Hill Hall. But when she arrives she discovers the mansion to be dark, eerie, and full of questions. Who and why are the old people sitting silently in the chairs? What has happened to Emily's uncle? What happened to the ballroom? Who can emily trust? And why is there a bowl of peppermints in the parlor that are forbidden to touch?

Peppermints in the Parlor is a terrific book! As a young girl Emily Luccock lost both of her parents. She went to live with her aunt and uncle in their mansion, Suger Hill Hall. But when she arrives at the house, everything is not as she expects. Two stange and mean women, strange shodows in the parlor, and the mansion darker and gloomier than ever! And most of all where is her Uncle Twice, and why does Aunt Twice seems to be a prisoner in her own house?

I loved this book from the very first page, to the very last! I reccomend this book to everyone to read! (It's a great book to use for a book report!!)

Peppermints in the Parlor, a classic children's mystery novel, is brought to life by Angela Lansbury's wonderful narration. You can hear the evil in Mrs. Meeching's voice and the innocence in Emily's. A good choice for families driving distances in the car! You'll find yourself singing "London Bridge is Falling Down" and even creating your own lyrics to the tune.

When Emily arrives at Sugar Hill Hall, she doesn't find the cheery home of her aunt and uncle that she remembers. There are suspicious goings on at the mansion. Who are all the old people sitting in the corners and why are they silent? What has happened to her uncle? Why isn't the floorplan of the mansion quite as she remembers? From Emily's arrival to the riveting resolution, this mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is a quick pleasurable read.

It is hard to overstate how much excitement Angela Lansbury brings to the reading of this mystery book for children. Suffice it to say that at age 52 I enjoyed listening to it as much as my daughter, and would have purchased twenty more had they been available. The text by Barbara Brooks Wallace is also very well done, and very accessible for children's vocabulary while remaining exciting enough for an adult to enjoy without becoming bored. I highly recommend both the book and the audiobook for parents of both good readers and readers who need something a little spicier to get them interested and involved in the story. It concerns a young girl who has lost her parents and goes to live with an aunt in San Francisco. The trials and tribulations to which Emily Lucock is subject make up the the plot of the story, but the author is able to build both mystery and suspense into the telling. The audiobook format is especially terrific because of Lansbury's wonderful technique for building drama and suspense.