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The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
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The Penderwicks (2005)

by Jeanne Birdsall

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2,1221332,820 (4.13)91
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English (127)  German (2)  Lithuanian (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (131)
Showing 1-5 of 127 (next | show all)
What's not to like? A charming throw back to the children's books of my youth. ( )
  KristySP | Apr 21, 2013 |
I enjoyed this little book very much.

The Penderwick family is charming, if a little precious and a little too well behaved, but I would have enjoyed knowing them as a child or having them live in my neighborhood now!

Their friendship with the boy and their help of him to accomplish his goals was refreshing, with just enough misbehaviour/problems to keep it somewhat realistic in terms of children's behaviour.

I look forward to reading the sequels and recommend this book to any parent looking for a good "group read" with their children, any child looking for a pleasant story, and any adult looking for a little escape into the fantasy world of a wonderful childhood. ( )
  MissJessie | Apr 19, 2013 |
When the four Penderwick sisters, along with their father and their dog, take a vacation home in the mountains for a few weeks in the summer, they expect the usual summer vacation adventures -- but they get even more fun and adventure than they had bargained for when they meet their neighbors and landlord.

If I had to pick just one word to describe this book, it would be "charming." There's a timeless, classic feel to this story -- not that it's set in nostalgic Days Gone By (there are references to the trappings of modern life, though those things are generally peripheral to the story), but the relationships between the characters, the situations they find themselves in, and the tone and pacing of the story all pay homage to the sort of books that were already dusty and deliciously old-book-scented when I read them as a child.

This time around, I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Susan Denaker. She does a fabulous job of bringing the story to life, with different (but not too different) voices for each character, and a reading that manages to be gentle but not sleepy. So, I would highly recommend both the book and the audiobook of this sweet story. ( )
  foggidawn | Apr 6, 2013 |
This one was tough for me to finish. It felt like the author was trying to recreate the halcyon books of childhood and in so doing drew too hard upon her source material. The whole thing somehow rang hollow for me with its self-conscious charm. That being said, when I could suspend my disbelief the slight story was enjoyable but not at all like a visit to the Melendys. ( )
  satyridae | Apr 5, 2013 |
Fun story in the tradition of the Bastables and Melendys, I’d say, although not quite as well done as either. Still, I’m glad to hear that there’s a sequel. [Aug. 2008] ( )
  maureene87 | Apr 4, 2013 |
Showing 1-5 of 127 (next | show all)
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Epigraph
Dedication
For Bluey
First words
For a long time after that summer, the four Penderwick sisters still talked of Arundel.
Quotations
The Hound Draw for Order was a time-honored ritual with the sisters. Names were written on small pieces of paper, then dropped on the ground along with bits of broken dog biscuit. As Hound snuffled among the biscuit pieces, he couldn't help but knock into the papers. The person whose paper the big nose hit first was given first choice.
“The cuter the boy, the mushier your brain.”
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The Penderwicks are four sisters, as different as chalk from cheese, yet as close as can be. The eldest, Rosalind, is responsible and practical; Skye, stubborn and feisty; dreamy, artistic, budding novelist, Jane; and shy little Batty, who doesn't go anywhere without her butterfly wings. And not forgetting Hound, their large lumbering lovable dog. The four girls and their absent-minded father head off for their summer holidays, but instead of the cosy tumbledown cottage they expect, they find themselves on a huge estate called Arundel, with magnificent gardens ripe for exploring. It isn't long before they become embroiled in all sorts of scrapes with new-found friend, Jeffrey - but his mother, the icy-hearted Mrs Tifton, must be avoided at all costs. Chaotic adventures ensue, and it soon becomes a summer the sisters will never forget...
Haiku summary

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0440420474, Paperback)

This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel’s sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures.

The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Which, of course, they will—won’t they? One thing’s for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget.

Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day.


From the Hardcover edition.

(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:50:14 -0500)

(see all 3 descriptions)

While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.

» see all 3 descriptions

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