Module 7: The Penderwicks

SLIS 5420/ Module 7/February 25-March
The Penderwicks
By Jeanne Birdsall

Bibliography: Birdsall, J. (2005). The Penderwicks. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Summary:
The Penderwicks is a family made up of a father, four daughters, and their dog Hound. To make their summer more magical they take a trip to Arundel and rent the cottage on the back of the estate. The girls bond throughout their three weeks at Arundel with the boy who lives in the main house, the gardener, and two friendly rabbits. Throughout their vacation the sisters forge deeper bonds between them and learn about friends, family, and growing up.

Impressions:
The Penderwicks is as charming a book as the cover suggests. I immediately fell in love with all four of the Penderwick sisters. Their Rosalind's devotion to family and honor, Batty's ladybug wings that never left her back, the adventures of Sabrina Starr as created by Jane, and Skye's inability to not say everything that is on her mind. The author brings the innocence of youth and summer play into each sentence in the book. The characters are as vivid as the setting. When I finished the book I immediately wished that I could visit the magical Arundel, but since that is unlikely, I better just find the sequel.

Professional Review:
Kirkus Review
Echoes of Alcott contribute to the intimate charm of this story of “summer and magic and adventure.” Not since the Marches have readers met more engaging girls than the Penderwicks: Rosalind, 12, pretty and practical; Skye, 11, smart and blue-eyed; Jane, ten, aspiring author, whose alter ego, Sabrina Starr, is fearless and clever; and butterfly wing–wearing Batty, four. Dear Father is a botanist, fond of spouting witticisms in Latin; Mommy is in heaven. This year, vacation will be spent at the cream-colored cottage at Arundel, estate of snooty Mrs. Tifton, whose house is “like a museum, only without armed guards.” Unless she has a change of heart, Jeffrey, her gentle, music-loving only child, is doomed to be sent to Pencey Military Academy, “Where Boys Become Men and Men Become Soldiers.” Despite a few mishaps, the children become fast friends and partners in the sorts of lively plots and pastoral pastimes we don’t read much about these days. Their adventures and near-disasters, innocent crushes, escaped animals, owning-up and growing up (and yes, changes of heart) are satisfying and not-too-sweet. (Fiction. 8-12)

Library Setting:
I think that the Penderwicks could be used on a library display with its audio book version to draw new readers or children who don't like reading. The cover is inviting and the subject matter light and warm. The reader for the audio book also does excellent versions of each of the different characters that really capture their individual personalities.

Reference Review: Kirkus.com. (2013). Kirkus reviews: The penderwicks. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeanne-birdsall/the-penderwicks/
Image: http://www.jennysbookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/penderwicks_jeanne_birdsall1.jpg