The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

Birdsall skillfully expresses the thoughts and emotions of children in such a candid approach, allowing the readers to enter into the hearts of each character. Sprinkled with humor, the plot keeps one in eager anticipation for what’s to come next. A refreshing, sweet escape from reality, recommended for all ages.

My daughters say this is the best book ever! It was fun and funny and entertaining, and we can't wait to read the next one.

Hello. Homeschool Mom to 5... 4 girls ages 8, 10, 12&14. Boy, age 5. So that was my audience when we read the book together. 5 year old got pretty lost, but the rest of us enjoyed it. I chose to skip certain bits and change certain words as we read. I will likely try book 2 and do the same . Some words /characteristics that may or may not bother you . Things I like knowing about before handing my kids a book. A few potential spoilers ... 1. "Oh my God " is used by an upset adult . 2. One child in the book often jokes about how she is going to murder someone . 3. One of the girls is 12 and has a major crush . She talks about having kissed a boy & imagines what it would be like to kiss her crush. 4. couple in late teens is caught kissing . 5. There is some sneaking around behind parents backs . 6. Some "white lies" are told . All of these are topics I prefer to talk with my kids about as we read or skip over . Overall, we laughed and enjoyed this book & look forward to trying book 2.

I so completely love this book. If Anne of Green Gables and Little Women met, had a baby, and sent it to live in modern times the result would be this book. The bond of sisterhood is alive and strong with Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty. And, just like the March girls, I can't decide which Penderwick sister I like the best. Each is endearing and relatable in unique ways. They all wear their hopes, fears, and feelings on their sleeves, and I found myself able to relate to each sister and remember when I too went through my first unrequited love, my first realization that boys could be more than icky, my attempts at creativity, and my imaginative play. While the Penderwick girls remind me strongly of Little Women they don't ever feel like cheap ripoffs. Instead, they feel like reincarnations, fully alive, similar, yet distinct. This doesn't feel at all like cribbing from a classic. It feels like going home. The plot is equally engaging, though certainly bolstered by the strength of the characters. Each scene reads like a perfect gem. Hilarious, touching, endearing, and heartbreakingly real, I treasured every event I read. The plot may sound simplistic, but believe me when I say I was entertained throughout. I laughed my way through and never once was I bored or felt the story lagged. On the contrary, when I turned the last page I immediately went online to see if there was a sequel. And there is! There are five books planned with two published and one on its way in the summer of 2011, though each can be read as a standalone. This is a middle grade book recommended for ages 9-12. While it is certainly appropriate for that age group (my library kids love it), it is equally enjoyable for YAs and adults. There is a timeless and ageless quality to this book. The Penderwicks won the National Book Award and it is well deserving. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see this one considered a classic in years to come.

The Penderwicks is a fiction book with a lot of creativity and live action put into it. The theme of The Penderwicks is adventure, being brave, and working together to make a great summer for the children in this book. This book is about three weeks of a summer vacation at Arundel, where the Penderwick sisters have time to make a good friend that will last for the rest of their lives. The boy that the Penderwick sisters meet, Jeffery, has a very different mother, and tricky to manage with. And worst of all she's in love with a creepy man! And poor Jeffery is worried that he has to go to a military academy where he will hate it! The school's motto is "Where boys become men, and men become soldiers." Jeffery doesn't think that he will like it and he can't explain it to his mother - she just won't listen! How will Jeffery escape this horrible matter? With the help of the Penderwick sisters! Mr. Penderwick, also known as Martin, is the Penderwick girl's father. There are four sisters. The eldest sister's name is Rosalind, then there's Skye, Jane, and the littlest and last Penderwick sister, Batty. There's one more Penderwick family member, and it is Hound, their dog. He might sound like a hound, but his name is only Hound. The Penderwick girls are as close as they can possibly be and even though they have different personalities, each one gets along perfectly fine. Every single one of the Penderwick sisters become the closest friends they could possibly be with Jeffrey. It happens in only three weeks! How is that possible? This book made me happy and all the adventures they went through were one of my favorite stories yet. Adventure, fun, bravery, and kindness is one of my favorite types of stories. I'd recommend it for grown ups to read to little kids, but if you're older like me (8 years old) or older, this book would be great to read on your own. If you're the type of person who likes kindness, bravery, adventure, and love to read like I do, then you will love this book. Also, counting this one, there are five Penderwick books so I hope you will read them all and enjoy some or all of them just like I did!

If you’re a kid or a parent of a kid, I have a book you NEED to read. The book The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Two Rabbits, Four Sisters, and a Very Interesting Boy, by Jeanne Birdsall, is an AMAZING BOOK. My mom bought it last fall for school, and I loved reading it. Without summer plans, Mr. Penderwick finds a little cottage in the Wicklow Mountains and books it immediately. He takes his four daughters, Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty, along with their dog, and they stay for three exciting weeks. I don’t want to tell you too much because I don’t want to spoil your fun in reading it. I have to say my favorite character is Skye or their vacation neighbor Jeffery. I didn’t like the characters Dexter or Mrs. Tifton, but the story wouldn’t be the same without them. They made life hard for my favorite characters, but then I got to see him triumph. That’s all I’m going to tell you; you’ll just have to read the book to find out everything! All in all, The Penderwicks is a great read for young people like me, so… BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!! (Daniel, Age 11) @nd Reviewer: I loved reading The Penderwicks, by Jeanne Birdsall. I enjoyed this book because it was adventurous, funny, and suspenseful. I don’t want to give away any of the important parts or spoil the book for you, but I can give a couple of examples of what made it such a good book. First of all, the characters seemed real. I felt like I knew them and wanted to be friends with them. Mrs. Birdsall also put them in situations that seemed realistic, like something that could happen during my own summer vacation. But then she added enough adventure and excitement to make the book exciting and fun to read. There are several sequels to this book, so you can look forward to more adventures after you read this first one. I would recommend this book for anyone 9 and up. I give this book an 11 out of 10 rating; it was that good! I think you should read this book, too! (Samuel, age 11)

Interesting, great writing and enjoyable all the way through! A perfect mom and daughter read. Looking forward to the next one!

I read this a few years ago and loved it. However, now looking back on it and reading a few of the reviews, I realized it wasn’t as good as I thought it was. Setting: I loved the setting of Arundel, but that bull pen seemed a little out of place in this Green Gables like setting. Characters: there is no change in any character in the whole book from what I remember. I did love the quirks, significant personality, and bond they had, however their ages were off. A twelve year old with a dad wouldn’t be taking care of her sisters that well. Even with a motherly personality. It was a little too much. Maybe if she was thirteen or fourteen because she also had a crush on an eighteen year old and most of the characters figured it out. Also, the five year old isn’t portrayed according to her age. Maybe her vocabulary is because of her family, but only to a certain extent. Maybe she wanders off by herself because she lives without a mother and a neglecting father? The father could have been taken out of the book and no change would be there. He needs a bigger role!! I mean who doesn’t notice children whom he supposedly really loves in this amount of trouble? Yes I know he was suppose to have that understanding personality but he should have punished them in some way. Plot: I have no idea what the plot is. Basically, the sisters are trying to save a boy from military school and his step father and “mean” mother, but I felt like Jeffery, the boy, had more of a plot. He should have been the main character because there was actually change in his story unlike the Penderwick sisters. Writing style: I loved the descriptions and the writing style BUT she used wayyy too many “said”s. And the dialogue could’ve have been better and more realistic Other complaints: The time period was really off. This would not have happened in the 2000s. Even with a botanist and head in the clouds father who isn’t up to date with gadgets, the lack of modern electronics was a little confusing. And the way she describe the computer and phone, it felt like they were older versions of today’s easy to carry laptops. There are GPSs you know!! Overall, I liked the book even with its faults. The story stuck to me and I reread so many parts. However, it depends on the person. If you like unrealistic, realistic fiction with lives you kind of wished you had but not exactly, this is a good book. Recommended to 11-13 year olds. Or read with parent at 9-10. (Some of the phrases they used were not the greatest. Even if children these days don’t talk any better.)

Very good read for middle grades

Suelo leer cuentos en inglés a mis hijas todas las noches. Al principio les leía sencillos cuentos infantiles, pero conforme fueron creciendo me vi en la necesidad de buscar libros más adecuados a su edad. Me encontré con este y resultó muy adecuado. El nivel de inglés es bastante alto para mi hija pequeña, de ocho años, pero la de diez se arregla bien. Y poco a poco se fueron adaptando. Por lo demás, la historia es muy adecuada a su edad, además de entretenida.

tolle Charaktere, unterhaltsam geschrieben, absolut lohnenswert

O livro veio totalmente danificado. A capa rasgada e inclusive me enviaram uma versão antiga do livro, não é essa capa da foto. Fiquei totalmente insatisfeita. Porém como minha filha já inicia a leitura em escola não terei tempo de devolver 😔

This is the kind of book that few authors seem to write these days. Four very different sisters and their father move to a New England(?) village for the summer, and encounter a lonely boy and his cold, forbidding mother. Mishaps and adventures ensue during what seems, to an adult reader such as myself, like an idyllic summer. Children will be drawn to the lively characters, who seem not to be plagued by the "issues" that weigh down so much of children's literature these days. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is nice to have a break sometimes, and this book is the perfect escape. It could be set any time during the mid- to late-twentieth century, such is the timeless feel to the story and the prose. HIghly recommended to those who enjoy E. Nesbit or Elizabeth Enright, and to anyone longing for summer in the middle of winter!