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Summary
Summary
With over one million copies sold, this series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager.
When summer comes around, it's off to the beach for Rosalind . . . and off to Maine with Aunt Claire for the rest of the Penderwick girls, as well as their old friend, Jeffrey.
That leaves Skye as OAP (oldest available Penderwick)--a terrifying notion for all, but for Skye especially. Things look good as they settle into their cozy cottage, with a rocky shore, enthusiastic seagulls, a just-right corner store, and a charming next-door neighbor. But can Skye hold it together long enough to figure out Rosalind's directions about not letting Batty explode? Will Jane's Love Survey come to a tragic conclusion after she meets the alluring Dominic? Is Batty--contrary to all accepted wisdom--the only Penderwick capable of carrying a tune? And will Jeffrey be able to keep peace between the girls . . . these girls who are his second, and most heartfelt, family?
It's a rollicking ride as the Penderwicks continue their unforgettable adventures in a story filled with laughs and joyful tears
Author Notes
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 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)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
The Penderwick sisters' third adventure brings them back in full entertaining force, despite the absence of their father, who is honeymooning in England, and Rosalind, who's vacationing with a friend in New Jersey. Birdsall fills the gaps in the family ranks with several new characters that the three remaining sisters meet while on a seaside Maine vacation with good-natured Aunt Claire and their beloved friend, Jeffrey. Friendly next-door neighbor Alec, an accomplished musician, takes musical prodigy Jeffrey under his wing, and the children also meet two siblings who are visiting their innkeeper grandparents: Dominic becomes the amusingly ill-fated love interest of aspiring romance writer Jane, and Mercedes is a suitably feisty friend for irrepressible Batty. With Rosalind away, Skye agonizes over her role as OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick), fretting that she won't be able "to keep Batty alive and undamaged for two weeks." Balancing the novel's comedy is an affecting, neatly crafted subplot that builds up to the emotionally charged revelation involving Jeffrey. From start to finish, this is a summer holiday to savor. Ages 8-12. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
At the start of the Penderwicks' third book, Daddy and Iantha, with little Ben in tow, are off to England for a scientific-conference-slash-honeymoon while the four sisters -- Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty -- face their first-ever, two-long-weeks separation. Rosalind is getting a much-deserved break from being OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick), vacationing with her best friend's family in New Jersey, while the three younger girls, supervised by Aunt Claire, retreat to Maine; easing the sting somewhat is the welcome company of Jeffrey, the sisters' brother-from-another-mother (and what a terrible mother he has). The story focuses on this latter group, as second-born Skye, self-confidence flagging, reluctantly takes up the mantle of OAP; Jane seeks inspiration for the love story she's writing; and Batty -- who knew? -- shows real promise as a budding musician. Birdsall, per usual, also treats readers to some strong supporting players: aloof skateboarder Dominic (Jane's crush) and his little sister Rosy (kindred spirit to Batty); overzealous canine Hoover; and, most notably, next-door neighbor Alec, who unwittingly but profoundly transforms Jeffrey's life. Just as in the previous books (The Penderwicks, rev. 7/05; The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, rev. 7/08), there's great give-and-take between the story's pastoral, old-fashioned sensibility and its modern-day details. All in all, it's a pleasure to tag along with this idiosyncratic bunch, and also to see everyone comfortably back home again. elissa gershowitz (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* In this third installment of the saga, the Penderwick family is off to Point Mouette, Maine, for a summer vacation. But not all of them and therein lies the rub. Mr. Penderwick, his new wife, and her toddler are honeymooning in England, while Rosalind, getting some much-deserved time off as the OAP (oldest available Penderwick), hands that duty over to a nervous Skye. As in the previous books, it's not so much what happens here (though unrequited love, a discovery of a breathtaking talent, and a few close calls do play roles) as the way Birdsall tells it. Drawing readers right into the vacation, she enlivens everyday happenings with excitement and her characters with so much individuality it's as though she's erased the word generic from the dictionary. Particularly outstanding are her descriptions: the tiny Maine town of Point Mouette, with its rocky shores and heaven-kissed sunsets, is so lovingly portrayed that readers will be longing to vacation there themselves. A plot twist for Jeffrey, the girls' honorary brother introduced in the first book, is magnificently soap opera-ish and might bring a tear to the eyes of readers, just as it does to the sisters. At the book's conclusion, the newly blended family is together once more. This new configuration has many possibilities and, happily, should lead to many more Penderwick moments.--Cooper, Ilen. Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-With Father and Iantha and little stepbrother Ben off to England for a honeymoon, and Rosalind away at the Jersey shore, Skye is feeling the heavy responsibility of being the OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick) as she, Jane, Batty, and their friend Jeffrey head to Maine with Aunt Claire for two weeks. Disaster strikes early on when Aunt Claire severely sprains her ankle. Fortunately, a kindly and interesting neighbor, Alec McGrath, and his friend Turron Asabere, both musicians, step in to help. Nevertheless, Skye is still feeling stressed and inadequate, concerned about Batty's safety near the water and exasperated by Jane, who is struggling with her latest Sabrina Starr novel, intended to be a love story requiring a survey on the subject from everyone she meets. Jane's own first love is an annoying skateboarder, Dominic, whose only saving grace is his endearing little sister, Mercedes. But, as Jeffrey is drawn to Alec and his piano, and Batty, too, discovers her own budding musical talent, the vacation is progressing nicely until Jane's chopping off her hair in response to Dominic's rejection sets off a chain of events with dramatic and heart-wrenching consequences. The plot pivots on an almost incredible coincidence, but Birdsall's skillful handling so engulfs readers that it comes across as entirely possible, and the resolution is totally satisfying. This continuation of the Penderwick family saga has all the fine qualities of the previous books: well-drawn, distinctive characters; humor, both subtle and hilarious; rich language; and an engrossing, well-paced narrative. While it stands alone, readers will eagerly look forward to the next installment.-Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Music and melodrama waft on the ocean breezes as the Penderwicks spend time on the Maine coast, in the third installment about this charming family.Well, most of the Penderwicks. Dad's on his honeymoon; eldest sister Rosalind is away at the Jersey shore. Joining the three remaining sisters and their beloved aunt is dear friend Jeffrey, introduced in the first novel. Skye, second eldest, is now overseer of her sisters and isn't happy about it, especially when the third, Jane, develops a crush on a most unworthy boy. Then Batty, the youngest, confounds everyone by discovering musical talent that no Penderwick has ever displayed. Most dramatic of all is the startling revelation that slowly reveals itself in the musician living next door. Readers who enjoyed the previous books (The Penderwicks,2005;The Penderwicks on Gardam Street,2008) will like this one, too, because of its cozy familiarity, and Birdsall writes with a warm, sure hand. The girls are, as usual, kind, endearing, self-possessed, self-aware andcomforting.Readers will also be happy, though wary, about the surprise disclosure but will likely see it coming. That's OK. Penderwick fans like their stories old-fashioned, replete with coincidences and gently soap-operaesque elements.Somewhere, there are families like the Penderwicks. Lucky them. The rest of us just get to read about them. Lucky us.(Fiction. 9-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
The Penderwick family was being torn apart. The tearing wouldn't last long--only two weeks--but still it was uncomfortable. Mr. Penderwick was the first to go, flying off to England with his new wife, Iantha, for scientific conferences and a bit of honeymoon. With them went Ben, Iantha's son, who was too small to be without his mother, honeymoon or not. That had been two days earlier, and now the remaining Penderwicks--four sisters named Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty--were about to tear apart even more. Early the next morning, three of them would leave for Maine with their Aunt Claire, while the fourth headed to New Jersey with her best friend. The sisters had never been apart for an entire two weeks, and though all of them were nervous about it, the one going off on her own was the most nervous. This was the oldest, thirteen-year-old Rosalind, and she was having a terrible time accepting that her sisters could survive without her. Right now she was waiting in her bedroom for them to arrive. She didn't want to be in her bedroom--she wanted to be with five-year-old Batty, getting her ready for bed just like she always did. But tonight Skye and Jane, the two middle sisters, were helping Batty with her bath and pajamas. Practice, Aunt Claire called it, or a dry run. She'd thought it would calm Rosalind to see that indeed she wasn't absolutely needed when it came to Batty. And Rosalind would have been calm, except that the others were supposed to come to her room as soon as they were finished, and that should have been at least ten minutes ago. How could a simple bath take so long? They knew she wanted to have one last MOPS--that is, Meeting of Penderwick Sisters--before Batty had to go to sleep. One last MOPS before they were all separated for two weeks. "Two whole weeks," groaned Rosalind, then looked up hopefully, because she heard footsteps in the hall. They were here. But it was only one of them--twelve-year-old Skye, the second sister--and she didn't have the look of someone who'd just conducted a successful bath. Her blond hair was hanging in damp clumps and there were wet spots on her tee shirt. "It's not as bad as it looks," she said. "Batty's fine. She didn't drown or anything." "Then what happened?" "Hound got into the tub with her." That explained why Skye was so wet. The Penderwicks' dog was large and enthusiastic--getting him out of a bathtub would make anyone wet. But it didn't explain why he'd been in the bathroom the first place. "Hound always tries to get into the tub," said Rosalind. "That's why he's not allowed near Batty at bath time. Didn't you know that?" "Nope, and neither did Jane. But we know it now, and we'll clean up the bathroom later. I promise." A dry run! The irony wasn't lost on Rosalind. She was determined not to scold, though, not this very last night. "Where are the others?" "Jane is helping Batty with her pajamas. They'll be here soon." Skye shook her head violently, tossing droplets of water across the room. "Where's your Latin dictionary? I need to look up revenge ." "On my bookshelf, though I wish you wouldn't." Rosalind knew why Skye was thinking about revenge, and that she'd been thinking of little else for the last twenty-four hours. Which was absolutely not the best way to prepare for the next two weeks. With Rosalind off in New Jersey, Skye would be the OAP--Oldest Available Penderwick--and she needed to concentrate on taking care of her two younger sisters, not on carrying out revenge. "Daddy says the best revenge is to be better than your enemy." "I'm doing that, too. Almost anyone could," said Skye, leafing through the dictionary. "Here it is. Revenge: ultio or vindicta . Then it says: to take revenge on is se vindicare in . Se vindicare in Jeffrey's loathsome mother. How do I say Jeffrey's loathsome mother in Latin?" Skye's desire for revenge was justified--Rosalind knew that. Jeffrey was Jeffrey Tifton, a boy the Penderwicks had met the previous summer while renting a cottage at his mother's estate, called Arundel. By the time that vacation was over, Jeffrey was their excellent friend and honorary brother, and since then the sisters had seen him as often as they could, which was nowhere near often enough. He was always too far away--either at Arundel, a few hours west of the Penderwicks' home in Cameron, Massachusetts, or at his Boston boarding school, a few hours east of Cameron. It had been natural then for the younger three sisters to want Jeffrey in Maine with them, and with great hope, they'd invited him. After much dilly-dallying and back-and-forthing by his mother, permission had finally been given, spirits raised, ecstatic phone calls exchanged--until suddenly, just that morning, a mere twenty-four hours before departure for Maine, the permission had been withdrawn. Jeffrey's mother had decided that he wasn't going with the Penderwicks. He wasn't going anywhere. He was stuck at Arundel for the whole summer. From the Hardcover edition. Excerpted from The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
