The Penderwick girls, their father and their beloved dog Hound are off to a summer rental cottage. What they did not expect was that the cottage would be on a grand estate, belonging to a snooty woman, Mrs. Tifton. While they quickly befriend the woman’s son, Jeffrey and much of her staff, it seems they are fated to be at odds with the homeowner herself. Rather than being charmed by the gaggle of girls, Mrs. Tifton is appalled and wants nothing to do with them. Luckily the girls are intelligent, strong and capable, and they do not allow themselves (or the people they love) to be bullied.
This is a thoroughly charming book, written in the style of many old-fashioned books. Parents with nostalgia for books they enjoyed during their own childhood will be thrilled to have found this modern offering. It’s an added bonus that there are positive characters of both genders. An incredibly sweet story, I would recommend this for grades 4-6, but I think it would do nicely as a read-aloud even with younger children.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Rosalind thinks an older boy is cute. It is definitely a crush, but she is 12 and he is around 18. Jeffrey’s father left before Jeffrey was born. It’s unclear if he was paid off or not. Mrs. Tifton has a boyfriend (she is not married, so this isn’t terribly immoral or anything). The boyfriend proposes. The children hear noises that sound like kissing. Mrs. Tifton says that Rosalind behaves like a lovesick puppy and that some day when she catches a man that will be the end of her innocence. Rosalind thinks about kissing a boy. She once kissed one on the cheek. There is kissing.
Profanity – “stupid,” “oh nuts,” “moron,” “jerk/y,” “ill-bred cur,” “heck,” “double darn,” “creep,” “git,”
Death, Violence and Gore – The girls’ mother is dead. Details about her death surface throughout the book. She died of cancer two weeks after the birth of her youngest child. Skye claims that if she’s in the backseat too long with her sisters she will murder them. She later threaten to kill one of her sisters. Skye also suggests that her sister write a story about a man-eating crocodile. Jane writes about a kidnapper and a boy in a cage. Jane worries that Skye will kill her if she does something wrong (not actually kill her, but you know, be mad at her). Supposedly, a bull gored a man and the man’s “guts fell out of his stomach and it took three doctors to stitch him back up again.” At the time there was some discussion as to whether or not the bull should be shot (verdict: no). Jeffrey suggests that perhaps he can drown an unwanted guest in the lily pond. After receiving an unwanted gift Jeffrey wonders why his mother doesn’t just kill him now and be done with it. There’s a reference to Ophelia (from Hamlet) and how she drowned herself. Skye daydreams about punching someone.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Mrs. Tifton has a glass of wine.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
I really liked these, but couldn’t get my boys to pick them up. Then I found the audios at the library, and they were an instant hit, so I second your idea for a read-aloud.