Bibliographical information:

Birdsall, Jeanne. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008.

Brief summary:

The Penderwicks have returned home after their summer adventures, and are three weeks into the school year when a new crisis hits. Aunt Claire arrives with a letter written by their mother just before her death, in which she insists that Mr. Penderwick start dating. He is reluctant, and Rosalind is convinced that a stepmother will be a disaster. Together, the sisters develop the Save Daddy Plan, which puts everyone through some difficult times in the interests of saving the family from the horrors of stepmotherdom. Along the way, the girls have adventures relating to school, sports, creative expression, and romance.

Comments:

This novel has a nice balance of humorous adventure and believable emotion. Birdsall represents each sister's point of view, and does an especially good job of capturing the awkward interactions of adolescents on the verge of dating.

Grade/Age level:

Grades 4-8

Cautions:

If you like this book, you might also like . . .

--Lisa Gordis

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