Jeanne Birdsall
Author of The Penderwicks
About the Author
Jeanne Birdsall was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1951. Before becoming a children's author, she worked as a photographer. Some of her photographs are included in the permanent collections of museums, including the Smithsonian and the Philadelphia Art Museum. She didn't start writing until show more she was forty-one years old. Her first book, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, was published in 2005. Her novels about the Penderwick family have collected several honors, including the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She also writes picture books for younger children. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Jeanne Birdsall
Associated Works
My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop (2012) — Contributor — 618 copies, 16 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1951
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Boston University
California College of Arts and Crafts - Occupations
- photographer
children's book author - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Places of residence
- Northampton, Massachusetts, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
The Penderwicks return in this fourth novel devoted to their adventures, which is told largely from Batty's perspective (although there are a few chapters featuring Ben's point of view), and which grapples with more serious issues than its predecessors. Some time has passed since the various holidays taken in The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, and Batty is now a middle schooler, and the senior member of the younger Penderwicks, including herself, Ben (a baby in previous books, but now a show more second-grader), and the newest addition to the family, in the form of two-year-old Lydia. Oldest sister Rosalind is now a freshman at college, and Skye and Jane are high-schoolers. As Batty looks forward to her eleventh birthday celebration, which will bring all of her loved ones together again - Rosalind home from college, Jeffrey from his music school in Boston, and next-door-neighbor Nick Geiger back from war in the Middle East - she makes two earth-shattering discoveries. The first is that she has both a gift for and a love of singing, which she hopes to use to surprise her family at the upcoming celebration. The second, in the form of an overheard conversation, is that she was the cause of her birth mother's death. This latter throws her into a terrible state of grief, reinforcing her conviction that she was also somehow responsible for her beloved dog Hound's death, and sending her into a state of deep despair. The resolution of this crisis forms the conclusion of the tale...
After loving the first two books about this family, and enjoying (but not loving) the third, I approached The Penderwicks in Spring with some trepidation, hoping it would herald a return to the earlier books, in terms of my engagement. Although not quite like those earlier books in tone or theme, it ended up eclipsing them altogether, when it came to my emotional involvement and eventual enjoyment. The crisis that Batty faces felt entirely real and realistic to me - it is something (the death of the girls' mother) that had always been there in the story, but had never been fully explored, and it made sense that it would be Batty who eventually brought it to the fore. Although Skye's words were cruel, her feelings too, inblaming Batty for Mrs. Penderwick's death were understandable too, although I wasn't sure what to make of her confession that she had never much liked Batty , as this felt somehow out of keeping with earlier developments in the series. That particular scene would have been more believable if Skye had mentioned resenting Batty, but also loving her, which I think is closer to the truth. Whatever the case may be, I found the story here absolutely gripping, and was choking up on more than one occasion as I read. The happy ending (of course!) was all the more welcome, given the truly serious issues of loss and grief raised in the story. As with the previous books, I had no sooner finished this, than I was reaching for the fifth (and final) Penderwicks story, The Penderwicks at Last. show less
After loving the first two books about this family, and enjoying (but not loving) the third, I approached The Penderwicks in Spring with some trepidation, hoping it would herald a return to the earlier books, in terms of my engagement. Although not quite like those earlier books in tone or theme, it ended up eclipsing them altogether, when it came to my emotional involvement and eventual enjoyment. The crisis that Batty faces felt entirely real and realistic to me - it is something (the death of the girls' mother) that had always been there in the story, but had never been fully explored, and it made sense that it would be Batty who eventually brought it to the fore. Although Skye's words were cruel, her feelings too, in
The Penderwicks are once again on holiday in this third novel devoted to their adventures, following upon The Penderwicks and The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. This time around, Mr. Penderwick, Iantha and young Ben are off to England; Rosalind is at the New Jersey shore with her best friend Anna; and Skye, Jane, Batty and Hound are off to Point Mouette, Maine with their Aunt Claire. As Skye frets about being the OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick) for the first time, Jane falls in love with an show more unworthy skateboarder, and Batty discovers her unexpected musical talent, it is Jeffrey - who is staying with the Penderwicks at Point Mouette - who experiences the most surprising thing of all, meeting his long-lost father, Alec, who had had no idea of his existence . This last development dominates the latter portion of the story, which concludes with the Penderwicks reunited...
I enjoyed The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, although perhaps not as much as its two predecessors. The first half of the book is a lighthearted holiday adventure, while the second veers off into drama. Given my fondness for vintage children's books, and the fact that Jeanne Birdsall's work self-consciously echoes some of those books, I was expecting that we would meetJeffrey's father at some point in the series, so this development didn't surprise me, and was actually quite entertaining. That said, the depiction of Jeffrey's reaction to his new situation - he is angry at both his mother, for not telling his father he existed, and his father, for not somehow guessing that he existed - felt somewhat off to me. It's not that his initial emotional reaction was unrealistic - after all, he is a child, and wants the adults to behave like adults, and protect him from hurt - it's more that his anger feels like it is being justified and vindicated by the narrative, even though it should be clear that the only one to blame is his mother , and that his father is also a victim. It's not so much that I wanted Birdsall to "correct" Jeffrey's position, but I found it odd that none of the other characters even once considered mentioning how unfair it was to blame Alec for the fact that he never knew about Jeffrey . Perhaps we're meant to think that, as a child, Jeffrey is too young and vulnerable to be expected to think ethically? If so, I find that odd, as I would certainly have considered such issues myself, as a child.
Leaving aside the issue of Jeffrey's reaction to his changed circumstances, I did enjoy this third foray into the world of the Penderwicks, and had no sooner finished it than I was reaching for the fourth, The Penderwicks in Spring. That is surely a strong recommendation. show less
I enjoyed The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, although perhaps not as much as its two predecessors. The first half of the book is a lighthearted holiday adventure, while the second veers off into drama. Given my fondness for vintage children's books, and the fact that Jeanne Birdsall's work self-consciously echoes some of those books, I was expecting that we would meet
Leaving aside the issue of Jeffrey's reaction to his changed circumstances, I did enjoy this third foray into the world of the Penderwicks, and had no sooner finished it than I was reaching for the fourth, The Penderwicks in Spring. That is surely a strong recommendation. show less
{third of 5 in Penderwicks series; summer, adventure, growing up, children's, seaside, music}(2011)
I love this series. Why don’t I have it on my own shelves yet?
The Penderwicks are off on their summer holidays again, a year after the events in the first book. This time, though, the senior Penderwicks are heading for England for conferences as well as a holiday and Rosalind, the eldest Penderwick sister at thirteen who has helped their dad look after the other girls since their mother died show more five years before, is going to New Jersey with her best friend while the younger three sisters go to Point Mouette in Maine with Aunt Claire. They're hoping that Jeffrey, whom they met in the first book and is an Honorary Penderwick, will also be able to join them but his mother keeps changing her mind. Twelve year old Skye is the OAP (oldest available Penderwick - not old age pensioner) and very apprehensive about her responsibilities, especially about taking care of Batty - their five year old sister - though eleven year old Jane will be there to help her (not to mention Aunt Claire).
Of course they have adventures. Not wild, wacky ones but believable summery adventures like meeting new friends (even Hound) or rescuing a dog paddling in the waves and getting soaked in cold sea water or walking through the pine woods in the pre-dawn to spot a moose family on the golf course. Batty discovers the joys of music and gives her first concert - despite Skye's disbelief, she's actually quite good. Jane is obsessed with writing her next Sabrina Starr book (which the whole family love reading) and has decided that it's time that Sabrina falls in love. The problem is that Jane herself has never been in love and has writer's block for the first time ever so she has to do research and ask other people questions about love.
I read this with a big smile on my face; some adventures were as simple as giving Batty her nighttime bath which was complicated when Hound decided to get involved and then Skye, Jane and the bathroom all got doused in bathwater too. I liked the way that Skye - usually rather harum scarum - stepped up to her responsibilities and deliberately kept calm even at times like when she discovered that Jane had cut half her hair off, rather unevenly; I was amused to notice that Skye often resorted to meals (and rightly so) to get everyone back on an even keel. And she’s fierce in the defence of her family.
Classic and timeless yet contemporary. I'm going to have to buy this series for myself ...
(April 2025)
5 stars show less
I love this series. Why don’t I have it on my own shelves yet?
The Penderwicks are off on their summer holidays again, a year after the events in the first book. This time, though, the senior Penderwicks are heading for England for conferences as well as a holiday and Rosalind, the eldest Penderwick sister at thirteen who has helped their dad look after the other girls since their mother died show more five years before, is going to New Jersey with her best friend while the younger three sisters go to Point Mouette in Maine with Aunt Claire. They're hoping that Jeffrey, whom they met in the first book and is an Honorary Penderwick, will also be able to join them but his mother keeps changing her mind. Twelve year old Skye is the OAP (oldest available Penderwick - not old age pensioner) and very apprehensive about her responsibilities, especially about taking care of Batty - their five year old sister - though eleven year old Jane will be there to help her (not to mention Aunt Claire).
Gaining Alec’s trust made her trust herself more. Maybe they really could manage all this on their own. “ ‘Sol, a needle pulling thread,’ ” sang Aunt Claire in her sleep. Or maybe not, thought Skye. Her work had just begun, and she was already worn out and wondered longingly if she dare take a nap. Of course not—what kind of a message would that send to the others? She needed to do something practical and soothing. “All right, troops,” she said. “Let’s have lunch.”And never forget Hound Penderwick who is holidaying with them too (although Asimov the cat gets to stay at home). Fortunately Skye has made a list - though that quickly becomes a casualty with only something about Batty blowing up being discernible.
Of course they have adventures. Not wild, wacky ones but believable summery adventures like meeting new friends (even Hound) or rescuing a dog paddling in the waves and getting soaked in cold sea water or walking through the pine woods in the pre-dawn to spot a moose family on the golf course. Batty discovers the joys of music and gives her first concert - despite Skye's disbelief, she's actually quite good. Jane is obsessed with writing her next Sabrina Starr book (which the whole family love reading) and has decided that it's time that Sabrina falls in love. The problem is that Jane herself has never been in love and has writer's block for the first time ever so she has to do research and ask other people questions about love.
Jane had occasionally tried to develop her own hidden depths, but she never could decide what to hide and how far down.The biggest adventure of all, though - that's a heartbreaker (in a good way) (although the coincidence was a bit deus ex machina, admittedly).
I read this with a big smile on my face; some adventures were as simple as giving Batty her nighttime bath which was complicated when Hound decided to get involved and then Skye, Jane and the bathroom all got doused in bathwater too. I liked the way that Skye - usually rather harum scarum - stepped up to her responsibilities and deliberately kept calm even at times like when she discovered that Jane had cut half her hair off, rather unevenly; I was amused to notice that Skye often resorted to meals (and rightly so) to get everyone back on an even keel. And she’s fierce in the defence of her family.
At last, and just in time, the proper reinforcement arrived. The screen door opened, and out stepped Skye—still rumpled from bed, her hair going in all directions.I highlighted so many quotes in my e-library book that I was starting to wonder if I'd end up just highlighting the entire book.
“She’s in charge,” said Jane, sagging with relief.
The balance of power shifted immediately. Skye was not at all pleased to see the interloper from Arundel, and a displeased Skye could be a mighty force, especially when she hadn’t had any breakfast
Classic and timeless yet contemporary. I'm going to have to buy this series for myself ...
(April 2025)
5 stars show less
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Despite being about a family of girls, this book is a favorite with my sons! We laughed our way through this book and eagerly continued on with the rest of the series. Then, we started over and read the whole series again.
The characters are so relatable, both to kids and to me as an adult. I still encounter people who make me feel powerless or lose my temper.
This has great themes of children who pursue their own interests and have self-confidence, children who get along but also have show more disagreements, and generally are resilient in the face of their realistic troubles. This book defintely has an honored place on my family's bookshelf and will be recommended to everyone. show less
The characters are so relatable, both to kids and to me as an adult. I still encounter people who make me feel powerless or lose my temper.
This has great themes of children who pursue their own interests and have self-confidence, children who get along but also have show more disagreements, and generally are resilient in the face of their realistic troubles. This book defintely has an honored place on my family's bookshelf and will be recommended to everyone. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 17
- Also by
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- Rating
- 4.2
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