The Penderwicks facts for kids
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| Country | United States |
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| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
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Publication date
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June 2005 |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| Pages | 272 pp |
| ISBN | 0-375-83143-6 |
| OCLC | 56631524 |
| LC Class | PZ7.B51197 Pe 2005 |
| Followed by | The Penderwicks on Gardam Street |
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy is a fun children's book written by Jeanne Birdsall. It was published in 2005 and quickly became popular. This exciting story even won a big award called the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in the United States!
This book was the very first one Jeanne Birdsall wrote. It started a whole series of books about the Penderwick family. There are five books in total, with the last one coming out in 2018. The first two books, A Summer Tale and The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, were both on The New York Times Best Seller list. Other books in the series include The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, The Penderwicks in Spring, and The Penderwicks at Last.
Jeanne Birdsall was inspired by classic stories she read when she was young. People have compared The Penderwicks to famous books like Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and E. Nesbit's The Story of the Treasure Seekers. Even though it feels like a classic, the story is set in more modern times. The writing style is similar to Louisa May Alcott's books. Like the Sarah, Plain and Tall or Narnia series, different characters take the lead in different books. Birdsall also includes hints from other classic books, like Emily of New Moon by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
A Summer Adventure: The Penderwicks' Story
This section tells you all about the exciting things that happen to the Penderwick family during their summer vacation.
Finding Arundel Cottage
The Penderwick family includes four sisters, their dad, and their dog. They get lost while trying to find Arundel Cottage, which they rented for the summer. Luckily, a friendly tomato seller named Harry helps them. They also get help from Cagney, the gardener at Arundel. Soon, they find their cozy summer home.
Meeting New Friends and Challenges
Once at the cottage, Skye goes exploring. She meets Cagney in the garden. They chat until Mrs. Tifton, the owner of Arundel, comes looking for Cagney. He quickly hides Skye in a large pot! Mrs. Tifton tells Cagney to get rid of a special rosebush. This bush had been kept alive by his uncle for 30 years. Skye and Cagney decide to save the bush by moving it near the cottage.
When Skye leaves, she bumps into Mrs. Tifton's son, Jeffrey. She doesn't know who he is. She warns him to stay out of the garden and says some not-so-nice things about Mrs. Tifton.
Apologies and Accidents
Skye tells Rosalind and Jane what happened. Rosalind thinks they need to apologize to Jeffrey. The next day, Jane goes to apologize for Skye. Jane and Jeffrey quickly become good friends.
Meanwhile, Rosalind and Skye try to bake cookies for Jeffrey. Cagney comes over with the rosebush. Rosalind goes to help him, leaving Skye in charge of the cookies. Skye accidentally sets the oven to "broil" and goes upstairs. The cookies burn! When Rosalind finds them, Skye gets upset. She calls Jeffrey a snob just as Jeffrey and Jane walk up to the house.
Mr. Penderwick comes in and sends everyone on a walk. Jeffrey takes them to see a farmer's bull. Batty, the youngest sister, accidentally wanders into the bull's pen. Skye, Jane, and Jeffrey quickly save her. They promise not to tell Mr. Penderwick or Rosalind about the scary moment.
A Party and a Secret Plan
Later, everyone goes to Jeffrey's house for gingerbread. The cook, Churchie, wants Jeffrey to invite the girls to his birthday party. She helps the girls pick out beautiful dresses from Mrs. Tifton's old clothes.
The birthday party turns out to be a bit of a mess. At dinner, Mrs. Tifton starts to dislike the girls. Afterward, they find out Mrs. Tifton plans to marry her boyfriend, Dexter Dupree. She is also thinking about sending Jeffrey to a military school a year earlier than planned.
Daily Life and a Missing Rabbit
After the party, life at Arundel becomes a routine. Skye, Jane, and Jeffrey play soccer and practice archery almost every day. Cagney offers to let Batty meet his pet rabbits. So, Batty and Rosalind visit his apartment every morning.
One day, Rosalind is too busy to take Batty. Batty goes to visit the rabbits by herself. Mrs. Tifton scares her, and Batty accidentally lets one rabbit escape. She tries to find it but can't. Cagney had told her the rabbit might be hurt if it got loose. Feeling sad, Batty decides to walk back to her house alone.
A Heroic Dog and a Close Call
Hound, the family dog, senses Batty is missing. He runs off, with all the Penderwick sisters and Jeffrey following. Hound finds the escaped rabbit. He then leads the older children to Batty. Just as they reach her, Batty walks into the street, right into the path of a car! Jeffrey quickly pulls her out of the way, saving her life.
When the girls tell Mr. Penderwick what happened, he says that in some cultures, if someone saves another person's life, their souls become connected.
Trouble in the Garden
A few days later, Skye, Jane, and Jeffrey are playing soccer. They run into the Arundel gardens. They forget that the Garden Club Contest is happening. Mrs. Tifton had warned them to stay out of the garden that day. She gets very angry and forbids Jeffrey from ever seeing the Penderwicks again.
When Mrs. Tifton and Dexter are out, Skye and Batty go to the Arundel mansion to check on Jeffrey. Dexter and Mrs. Tifton come home early and find Skye and Batty there. Mrs. Tifton kicks them out. But Skye goes back and listens to Mrs. Tifton lecturing Jeffrey. She wants to make sure he is okay.
Skye overhears Mrs. Tifton say mean things. She calls Skye sneaky and sarcastic. She says Rosalind follows Cagney around too much. She also says Mr. Penderwick is too soft. She even says Batty has a "mental issue" because of her "tacky wings" and how she stares. Mrs. Tifton also suggests that Mrs. Penderwick left the family because she was tired of caring for the girls. Skye loses her temper. She storms into the room and tells Mrs. Tifton that her mother is dead before leaving.
A Fall and a New Plan
That night, Skye tells Rosalind everything. This includes the part about Rosalind liking Cagney. Rosalind goes for a walk. She sees Cagney with another girl and falls into the pond. She hits her head on a rock. Cagney brings her home.
Churchie calls Skye and tells her that Mrs. Tifton and Dexter took Jeffrey for an interview at the military school. Churchie also delivers a message from Jeffrey. He tells Skye that what happened was not her fault. That night, Jeffrey comes to the cottage. He tells the girls he is running away. He plans to stay with Churchie's daughter in Boston. Rosalind invites Jeffrey to stay with them for the night, and he agrees.
A Happy Ending for Jeffrey
The next morning, Mrs. Tifton and Dexter come to the cottage looking for Jeffrey. Jeffrey explains to Mrs. Tifton that he does not want to go to the military school. She finally listens to him! Even better, she lets him take a lesson at the Boston Music Conservatory. In the end, the Penderwicks go home. Jeffrey, the rabbits, and everyone else are happy, even though they have to say goodbye for now.
Meet the Penderwick Characters
This section introduces you to the main characters in the story.
Each chapter tells the story from a third person point of view. However, it often focuses on what one of the Penderwick sisters is thinking or feeling. The four Penderwick girls are similar in some ways to the four March sisters from Little Women.
- Rosalind: She is the oldest sister, just like Meg in Little Women. Rosalind is kind, responsible, and loves flowers.
- Skye: She is a bit of a tomboy and can get angry quickly, like Jo. But Skye is also very neat and good at math. She is considered the smartest sister.
- Jane: She loves to write stories, also like Jo. Jane is also a good soccer player. She has a great imagination and sometimes "lives in her own world."
- Batty: She is the youngest sister. Batty is very shy and loves animals. For most of the story, she always wears a pair of butterfly wings. Mrs. Tifton thinks these wings are "tacky."
