Ben is a part of Five Little Peppers, the five children of Mamsie and the late Mister Pepper who are born into poverty in a rural "Little Brown House." The eldest of the five, Ben, is an avid scholar but willingly puts aside schooling in favor of providing for the family. With his sister he manages the younger children and will sacrifice anything for them. As Christmas approaches, we follow Ben Pepper, steady as a rock, with lots of fun too, in his efforts to arrange warm and loving holiday for his family.

Harriett Lothrop (1844-1924) was an American author also known by her pseudonym Margaret Sidney. In addition to writing popular children's stories, she ran her husband Daniel Lothrop's publishing company after his death. She is best known for her Five Little Peppers series of novels for young children. Lothrop is also known as the founder of the Children of the American Revolution.