The Penderwicks

The Penderwicks

Jeanne Birdsall

Knopf, 2005

262 pages

Grades 3-6

Realistic Fiction

The Penderwicks series #1

The four Penderwick sisters, their widower father, and a giant dog named Hound arrive at the Arundel Estate, where they will be renting the cottage during summer vacation. Dad, a horticultural professor, is very interested in the local fauna and leaves the girls to their own imaginative devices. They meet the teenage gardener, on whom the oldest sister immediately develops a crush, and his two bunnies. Next they meet the housekeep at the estate mansion, who is not only kind, but a wonderful baker who likes to share. Best of all, they meet Jeffrey, who lives at the estate and longs for a friend and adventures. The girls and Jeffrey have a marvelous time-until they encounter Jeffrey's single mother, the formidable Mrs. Tifton. Mrs. Tifton is very proud of her social status and gardens and does not appreciate wild children running around. She is determined to send Jeffrey to a military boarding school, but he doesn't want to go and his mother won't listen. Can the girls do anything to help their new friend? Will they get through the summer without getting kicked out of their lovely vacation cottage?

After a year of reading problem-drenched novels, my middle grade book group needed a break. They begged me for something "not so depressing". The Penderwicks filled the bill perfectly as lighter fare and a grand entrance to summer. Though published in this century, the series has an old fashioned feel to it that is steeped in nostalgia. There are problems, necessary to move the plot along, but they are minor and fixed by book's end. All of the sisters are written distinctly and readers will keep them easily apart. The minor characters are also interesting and fleshed out. A bumbling and distracted, yet kind, father makes the kids feel secure, yet gives them the freedom to explore and have independant adventures. The conflicts in this story, mainly helping a friend deal with a helicopter parent, a first crush, and typical sibling drama, are presented humorously and readers will relate to the characters as they chuckle at the hijinks. Four more adventures follow in the series giving readers somewhere to go if they chose to spend more time with this unconvention, yet loving, family.