The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

I can't exactly remember what it was that kept me from reading "The Penderwicks of Gardam Street" the minute it came out on bookstore and library shelves. As a children's librarian I certainly enjoyed Ms. Birdsall's previous title, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Penderwicks (Quality)), which garnered itself a bright and shiny National Book Award. Then there was all that talk about a resurgence of "old-fashioned" children's books and how "Penderwicks" marked a nostalgia trend. I didn't like that notion, and maybe that feeling ate away at the good time I'd had reading the novel. Maybe I felt guilty for liking it so much. Maybe that's what slowed my hand when it came to reading and reviewing the next Birdsall title. "I've read the first one," thought I. "How much more different could it be?" But then all these librarians and teachers stared telling me how good the sequel was. No, not just good. "Better than the original." Those were the exact words I heard from three different pairs of lips. And the general rule states that if three different pairs of lips tell you to read something, it is wise to follow their advice. So I finally finally FINALLY got around to picking up a copy and reading it and . . . . shoot. They were right. It really is better than the original. And the original, for all my hemming and hawing, was pretty darn good in its own right too. Under normal circumstances Aunt Claire's visit to the Penderwick girls (Rosaline, Jane, Skye, and Batty) is a time of fun and jubilation. But when Claire announces that it was Mr. Penderwick's wife's dying wish that he eventually date and remarry, shock hits the girls. Rosalind, the eldest, takes it particularly hard and decides to institute a plan to save their father from the claws of some foul woman by setting him up on purposefully horrendous dates (thereby turning him off of the idea altogether). Of course there are other concerns clawing at the girls' attention. Skye and Jane have switched their homework yet again, and unfortunately it worked so well that Skye's English teacher has decided to stage "her" play with you-know-who in the lead. Rosalind, on top of this dating crisis, is dealing with the unwanted (?) attentions of next door neighbor Tommy Geiger. And even Batty has a situation of her own, involving the adorable little boy neighbor (and his beautiful and intelligent mother) and a creepy fellow lurking about the street whom she calls "Bug Man". Fortunately everything works out well in the end with the girls happier, wiser, and just as amusing as ever. I know that there are some parents, teachers, and librarians out there amongst you for whom the term "classic" when applied to a contemporary work of children's fiction means only one thing to you: twee. Ootsy-cutesy. Sunshine, flowers, and suburbs full of white children acting as if it is 1959 and they haven't a care in the world. Well, let's exam

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street is a really good book. My eight year old daughter read it and loved it. As soon as she started reading it she could not stop. I read it and loved it too. We are really hoping there will be another Penderwicks book.

I am a children's librarian and run a kids book club for children in grades 3-5. We happen to be reading the first Penderwick book this month, so I thought it would be good for me to quickly read this new book #2. At some point I stopped reading it as a librarian and was completely pulled into the story. This is a lovely book! The characters are strong, well-developed, and believable. The plot has just the right balance of tension, humor, and intrigue. This is one of those rare gems that both parents and kids will find thorougly satisfying. It would make a great read-aloud, too. I'm thrilled to know there's a book #3 in the works.

My kids and I absolutely loved the first book, so when I saw this at my local bookstore I paid full price to own this little gem immediately. I read it in one night, and it did not disappoint. I'm looking forward to reading it aloud to my kids, because I know they'll love it as much as the first. The story begins with the Penderwicks' widowed father being urged to date by his sister (and deceased wife, via letter). The four Penderwick girls are aghast at the prospect of a stepmother, so they put a "Save Daddy" plan into action. In addition to this, the Penderwicks must deal with new neighbors (a beautiful widowed professor and her toddler - yes, the book predictably goes there with the matchmaking, but it does so in such an engaging way that you won't mind, honestly), school projects, soccer matches, a visit to Jeffrey, Batty's mysterious "Bug Man", and changing friendships. Birdsall takes us through the Penderwick's adventures and mishaps with warmth, wit, and wisdom. The colorful details really make this book shine. Like the complicated way they play Clue (not according to the rule book, that's for sure!), and they way they introduce Hound (the Penderwick's dog) to Asimov (the neighbor's cat), and Jane's conversation about chrysanthemums with Mrs. Geiger, and the cheerful kitchen chaos when the neighbor comes over for pizza. I also loved the stream of consciousness thoughts of the girls, especially Skye's. My children, however, loved the Penderwicks in book one because their antics and thoughts made them laugh out loud. This sequel is sure to do the same.

Wow, I loved the first Penderwicks book, but this one is even better. What I most liked was the way that the characters all changed so much over the course of the book. Each is growing in their own way, making it a pleasure to read. Also, the ploy holds together more tightly than the first book. By the last page, I didn't want it to end, but thankfully, it says on Birdsall's website that she is already working on the next one. Can't wait! As a middle school teacher myself, I also think this book is far more useable in a classroom than the first. I know my students loved the first one, but this second one, especially since each character experiences their own mini-conflicts and resolutions, would be perfect for an English Language Arts class.