Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank B. Gilbreth

(Paperback, 224 pages, first published in 1948)

“A touching family portrait that also happens to be very, very funny. . . its appeal is timeless.” —Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post

One of the best-loved American memoirs of an oversized family and the parents who held them together.

What do you get when you put twelve lively kids together with a father—a famous efficiency expert—who believes families can run like factories, and a mother who is his partner in everything except discipline? You get a hilarious tale of growing up that has made generations of kids and adults alike laugh along with the Gilbreths in Cheaper by the Dozen.

Translated into more than fifty-three languages and made into numerous films over the years — including a classic film starring Myrna Loy and a favorite with Steve Martin, Hilary Duff, and Alyson Stoner — this memoir is a delightfully enduring story of family life at the turn of the twentieth century.

Cautions: Some irreverent language, including a couple of instances of the Lord's name in vain. Read a full review here. 

Recommended Age: 12+