The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

A deliciously nostalgic and hilariously charming story of four sisters and their adventures. 
 
'This is a book to cherish' - School Library Journal

This is a book to cherish and to hold close like a warm, cuddly blanket that you draw around yourself to keep out the cold

A fun and touching story about family life and all its ups and downs

The story has a wonderful "feel-good" factor and will be read and re-read many times

Jeanne Birdsall lives in Massachusetts, USA, with her husband, three cats, and a dog called Cagney. The Penderwicks was her first novel, and won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. You can find out more about Jeanne (and her animal friends) at her website: www.jeannebirdsall.com.

The Penderwick sisters are at home on Gardam Street and ready for an adventure! 
 
But the adventure they get isn't quite what they had in mind. Mr Penderwick's sister has decided it's time for him to start dating - which can only mean one thing: disaster. 
 
Enter the Save Daddy Plan - a plot so brilliant, so bold, so funny, that only the Penderwick girls could have come up with it. But does Mr Penderwick really need saving, and can the sisters solve their own problems at the same time?

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette

Hilarious, tender and thoroughly entertaining: this is a book to hand to any child.

Balancing the novel's comedy is an affecting, neatly crafted subplot that builds up to the emotionally charged revelation . . . From start to finish, this is a summer holiday to savor

It’s not so much what happens here (though unrequited love and a few close calls do play a role) as the way Birdsall tells it. Drawing readers right into the family, she enlivens the everyday matters and endows 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 as well

If you’ve someone who’d like to be introduced into this world for the first time or someone who’s been reading the books straight through, it makes no difference. Both will enjoy this newest Penderwickian challenge. Both will be intrigued and pleased. Both will love it. You will too for that matter

This book is brilliant . . . I just wanted to be there, in the kitchen, hugging them all

Somewhere, there are families like the Penderwicks. Lucky them. The rest of us just get to read about them. Lucky us

Summer is here and it's off to the beach for Rosalind . . . and off to Maine for the rest of the Penderwick girls with their old friend, Jeffrey. 
 
That leaves Skye as OAP (oldest available Penderwick) - a terrifying notion for all. Things look good as they settle into their cozy cottage, but can Skye hold it together? Will Jane's Love Survey come to a tragic conclusion? 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 rollercoaster ride as the Penderwicks continue their unforgettable adventures in a story filled with laughs and joyful tears!

Jeanne Birdsall

A gentle book, with a philosophy of kindness to others and a message that children should confide their troubles to adults, who should always listen

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

Birdsall follows in the footsteps of Elizabeth Enright, Edward Eager, and Noel Streatfeild, updating the family story yet keeping all the old-fashioned charm

Nicely old-fashioned . . . what makes it so engaging are Birdsall's light humorous style and the varied, vivid characters. Great fun and a cosy, comforting read

The Penderwicks: four sisters, as different as chalk from cheese, yet as close as can be. 
 
The eldest, Rosalind, is responsible and practical; Skye, stubborn and feisty; dreamy, artistic, budding novelist, Jane; and shy little Batty, who doesn't go anywhere without her butterfly wings. And not forgetting Hound, their large lumbering lovable dog. 
 
The four girls and their absent-minded father head off for their summer holidays, but instead of the cosy tumbledown cottage they expect, they find themselves on a huge estate called Arundel, with magnificent gardens ripe for exploring. It isn't long before they become embroiled in all sorts of scrapes with new-found friend, Jeffrey - but his mother, the icy-hearted Mrs Tifton, must be avoided at all costs. Chaotic adventures ensue, and it soon becomes a summer the sisters will never forget...

Jeanne Birdsall

Praise for The Penderwicks

A gentle book, with a philosophy of kindness to others and a message that children should confide their troubles to adults, who should always listen

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, esc ...

Birdsall follows in the footsteps of Elizabeth Enright, Edward Eager, and Noel Streatfeild, updating the family story yet keeping all the old-fashioned charm

A gentle book, with a philosophy of kindness to others and a message that children should confide their troubles to adults, who should always listen

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, esc ...

Birdsall follows in the footsteps of Elizabeth Enright, Edward Eager, and Noel Streatfeild, updating the family story yet keeping all the old-fashioned charm

A gentle book, with a philosophy of kindness to others and a message that children should confide their troubles to adults, who should always listen

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, esc ...

Birdsall follows in the footsteps of Elizabeth Enright, Edward Eager, and Noel Streatfeild, updating the family story yet keeping all the old-fashioned charm

Books by Jeanne Birdsall

Series by Jeanne Birdsall

The Penderwicks

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