Rating: 
Summary: Lovable a half-century ago, lovable now
Review: CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN is an endearing book, and a book that stays with the reader.I first read it decades ago, when I was a kid. It already had historic overtones then, and it seems even more historic today. CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (a reference to the number of children in the Gilbreth family) accurately represents life in America in the early years of the 20th Century, a simpler time in every way. Reading this autobiography by siblings Frank Gilbreth and his sister, Ernestine Carey, one is reminded of those values that combined together to make the United States the greatest country in the history of the world. The book also transmits a sense of the fun it was to be part of a large family in those long-ago days, and the pride--even the complacency--that came with being citizens of this nation. The original movie made from this book follows the family faithfully; the recent feature film has nothing to do with the real-life Gilbreth family, other than its title. So, read CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN and take a trip to a nicer time now far, far away.
Rating: 
Summary: Above the Crowd!
Review: Frank Gilbreth, a man of great pride and confidence, always sought the respect and attention of everyone and always looked to stand above the crowd. Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey write a comic-filled Cheaper by the Dozen to tell of all the adventures of growing up in a family of fourteen. There is no other man more capable of raising twelve children than Frank Gilbreth. Being a world-famous efficiency expert, Frank often used the children as guinea pigs to test out his different theories. He put the newborn baby Anne into the bathtub because he thought newborn babies could instinctively swim. When Anne could not swim he took her out of the tub and looked at the nurse and said, "Now if it had been a boy."
His ability to never show a sign of weakness helped to keep him one step ahead of his children. It is one laugh after another as Mr. Gilbreth tries to control his circus of children. With each adventure you can't help but fall more in love with the Gilbreth family. Cheaper by the Dozen is a classic tale of fond memories of growing up in early America, but like the Gilbreth family, continues to stand above the rest.
Rating:
Summary: It's still really funny
Review: I was watching the attractions for the Steve Martin version of Cheaper By the Dozen and thinking that it looks like the only element they kept from the book was the title and having 12 kids. I really haven't read the book since..... 6th grade? It was my favorite book then. I decided to re read it and it's still really funny. I mean laugh out loud funny. The rest is a charming look at life in a different time. It's just a wonderful story about Frank and Lillian Gilbreth (I believe he started motion study and invented touch typing, she was a psychologist) and their 12 children growing up around the turn of the century everything in the household is about learning and responsibilty to gently instill responsible behavior in the children as they grow to adulthood. That said I really loved the bit where the wife leaves him with the kids and when she returnes he says he only had problems with that one over there, but I spanked him and that worked it all out and she says he's not one of theirs.
Rating:
Summary: Not your children's "Cheaper by the Dozen"
Review: One of the finest pieces of children's literature written in the twentieth-century. There are books in this world that deserve to be remembered and books that do not. This book is perhaps THE funniest book of the 40s, and it is certainly one of the best. The events recounted are based in fact (with a little literary license thrown in). In real life, Frank Gilbreth was the foremost expert in the country on motion study and its effects. Transferring this knowledge to his home life, Frank attempted to raise his twelve children according to his own unique set of rules and regulations. The result was sometimes catastrophic, sometimes brilliant, and always funny. As other reviewers of this book have mentioned, this book has nothing to do with the 2003 movie starring Steve Martin. When I noticed that the poster of this movie was exhibited on the cover of this book and being sold in stores everywhere as its original inspiration, I was a little angry. The movie and the book have exactly one fact in common. Twelve children in a single family. Like all books written in the past, there are elements to this book to be aware of. There's a Chinese cook in the story that speaks broken English and occasionally reacts violently to the children. When a birth-control advocate arrives at the house, the Gilbreths take the opportunity to turn the situation humorously to their advantage. But really, in the scope of 40's children's literature, these are small potatoes. To read this book as a kid is to love it. Heck, to read the book as an adult is to love it as well. Ten stars would I give it if I could. Unfortunately, I only have five to work with.
Rating:
Summary: Oh, I had to REREAD this!!!
Review: Cheaper by the Dozen is one of the greatest books ever. I had such fond memories of sitting in my 6th grade class after eating lunch, when my teacher would dim the lights and, in the filtering afternoon sunlight, read to his class several pages a day of a book he liked and wanted to share. Cheaper by the Dozen was one of these books. I just finished grad school and I went back and reread this, especially since I was disgusted by the remake of the movie. The story in the Gilbreth's novel is not just about a family and its crazy way of life, but it's really a commentary on life in the first half of the 20th century, when everything was changing and Dad longed to instill traditional values while using his family as a test pilot for his quirky ideas. This is something no modern update film could possibly capture. This book is the childhood every kids wishes they had. A good, old-fashioned Sunday picnic of a novel, complete with typing contests, the man from Nantucket, and an early model Ford with a mind of its own. A real gem!!!
Rating:
Summary: A perennial favorite
Review: When I, with only one sibling, went to my friend Cathy's house, the logistics of that household blew my mind, even though I was only about ten. Cathy was one of thirteen children. At lunchtime, Cathy's mom called out from the hammock where she was reading a magazine. She asked the oldest child to get three loaves of bread and four packages of hot dogs from the freezer and make lunch for the 15-20 (many of her own and lots of their friends) children who played in the big shady Michigan backyard. I remember stopping and staring at her. Four packages of hot dogs? Suddenly I understood why she always commandeered at least two kids to accompany her when she visited the local A&P. Imagine the train of grocery carts...
For me, reading Cheaper by the Dozen was like revisiting those Michigan afternoons. The adventures of the Gilbreth family are enduring and endearing, memories of one not-all-that-unusual huge family that muddled along at the turn of the twentieth century. Experimental industrial efficiency methods were used by the parents, so the household hummed along with the precise scheduling of an assembly-line factory. The humor is broad, the tone is generally loving, the characters are well-developed, and the numerous children manage (mostly) to emerge as individuals both in life and in the telling.
Cheaper by the Dozen remains a classic and can still be enjoyed by people of all ages. It's actually a good one to read aloud to your own modern little family of 3 ½ persons.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, But It's Not the Movie
Review: When two extremely intelligent people, become married, and begin starting a family, what do you get? An efficiency-expert for a father, a psychologist for a mother, and twelve crazy kids, who are rambunctious, yet loving at the same time. When the Gilbreth family is moved from Providence, Rhode Island, to Montclair, New Jersey, no one knows what to expect. Throughout CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN you find out just what crazy things happened to the family during their journey. From leaving kids behind at restaurants, to being mistaken for an orphanage, siblings Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, explain to us just what it was like being a family of 14. Written in 8-10 page short stories, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN offers something for children and adults of all ages. A must-have for all looking for a heartwarming, yet hilarious, family story. NOTE: This book is NOTHING like the 2003 movie starring Steve Martin and Hilary Duff. In fact, the only similarities are the amount of children in the family. If you are looking for a novelization of the movie, this isn't it. Erika Sorocco
Rating:
Summary: Cheaper by the Dozen
Review: Dear Reader, Imagine being one of 12 children. The book 'Cheaper By The Dozen' was written by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The Gilbreth family moved from Providence, Rhode Island to Montclair, New Jersey. In this story the dad, who was an efficiency expert, loved jokes, especially when they were on him. The mom was on a lot of church related committees. She didn't like to go to church on Sundays, because she spent so much time there during the week, but she made everyone in the family go anyway. The church had her recruit newcomers for committees. If people tried to say they didn't have time because of their kids, she would say she had time with 12 kids. The mother always thought all the kids were individual people. On the other hand, the dad thought they all were one giant unit and had to stay together. The story is about their life and what happens. I recommend this story to teenage audiences because of strong language. By Tommy A.K.A. EGGDUDE
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Summary: This book was hilarious!
Review: This book was great!! We read it for 8th grade Language arts, and I absolutely loved it! It is very funny, and the stuff that happens is so wacky that you have to remind yourself that this is a true story. I would Definatley reccommend this book!!
Rating:
Summary: This was a great book
Review: This was a great book! I read it for a summer reading book for school and i loved it! I would love to read it again and agian and again!! It was the best book I read ALL year!!
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