“Rosalind was happy.”

From Jeanne Birdsall’s The Penderwicks on Gardam Street.

After a magical summer vacation at Arundel, the Penderwick girls–twelve-year-old Rosalind, eleven-year-old Skye, ten-year-old Jane, four-year-old Batty–have settled back into life at home on Gardam Street and all the normal craziness that school brings. While the girls have been left with only their father after their mother died, the Penderwick family have developed a routine that works for them. However, when Aunt Claire visits with a letter from their mother, the girls and Mr. Penderwick are shocked to find that Mrs. Penderwick made Claire promise to make Mr. Penderwick try dating. Rosalind is especially set against the idea of a stepmother, so she leads her sisters in a plan to find terrible dates to meet the four-date-minimum required by their aunt. The plan is further complicated by the craziness that is life in the Penderwick home such as Rosalind ignoring the football-loving neighbor Tommy to worry about the plan and Batty and the family dog, Hound, befriending the new widowed neighbor, Iantha, and her infant son, Ben. Although when Skye and Jane switch homework assignments, Jane’s amazing play results in a real class performance featuring the terrified “writer” Skye, which really complicates things. However, the girls’ plan begins to crumble when their father finds a date on his own and it doesn’t go terribly, forcing them to try to figure out how to salvage their plan.

Birdsall’s second Penderwick book is sweet, funny, and well-developed in an appealing manner for readers of all ages.  Centered around the unique sisters, this adventure develops through the reader’s connection to the genuine relatable-ness of the characters.  The power of family is the driving force in The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, which makes it a not-to-be-missed captivating read.