“The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy” by Jeanne Birdsall was a beautiful children’s novel about four sisters, Rosalind, Skye, Jane and Batty and their widowed father, Mr. Penderwick, who go to Arundel, a large estate with a cottage for three-week vacation one summer. The adventure is set in Massachusetts. There are five books in the complete series of Penderwicks books, all written by Jeanne Birdsall.

While at Arundel, they meet many characters: Churchie, the kind housekeeper, Cagney, the handsome gardener, and Jeffrey, the son of Mrs. Tifton, the estate’s matron. The novel goes through the children’s adventures (and misadventures) around Arundel. Ms. Birdsall weaves a fascinating modern tale, reminiscent of The Boxcar Children, Little Women, The Secret Garden, and Anne of Green Gables, hearkening back to the childhood classics of yesteryear.

This was a great read with my daughter. She loved learning about the characters and being transported into their world as the story unfolded. This is a great book to help children exercise their wonderful imagination that is drawn out as you read.

I definitely recommend this book.