the penderwicks on gardam street by jeanne birdsall

Martin Penderwick had agreed that he would go on a certain number of dates, so the obvious solution was to find enough dreadful women with whom he could have unsatisfactory dates and when that was done all could go back to normal. They couldn't bear the thought of a stereotypical stepmother coming into their home and that was what gave birth to the Save-Daddy Plan. It's the thought of their father dating again that really worried the girls though. Rosalind finds the attractions of a boy from the neighbourhood rather confusing and Batty takes to spying on the new people next door.

Well, it seemed only sensible when Jane couldn't tell antibiotics from robotics and Skye couldn't write a play to save her life. Skye has problems controlling her temper on the soccer field and when they have problems with their homework she and Jane not above taking on each other's projects.

That's not to say that everything goes smoothly for the family. It's based on the same set of values – truth, honesty, kindness to others and the strength of family life. I loved the gentle stories of family life and I couldn't help but think back to that book as I read The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. I've had it for more than fifty years and the print has just about been read from the pages. In my bookcase there's a copy of Louisa M Alcott's Little Women. The girls were horrified and their father wasn't much happier. Elizabeth Penderwick had worried that her husband would be lonely and had written a letter which she asked Claire to deliver in three or four years. One thing the girls always looked forward to was the arrival of their Aunt Claire, but this time the visit was not to go smoothly. She died of cancer soon after the birth of Batty, leaving eight year old Rosalind, and younger sisters Skye and Jane and the baby to be looked after by their father. Highly recommended.įour years before the beginning of this book the Penderwick sisters lost their mother. It's well-written with compelling characters. Summary: A heart-warming story about American family life which points up the values of honesty and kindness to others.

The penderwicks on gardam street by jeanne birdsall