Book Info:
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall. Random House Children's Books, 2007.
Summary:
When the Penderwick family goes on summer vacation, they are surprised to find that their vacation rental is a small cottage on the Arundel estate, a beautiful and lavish house complete with sprawling gardens, a kindly cook, an attic full of old clothes and other treasures, a cute gardener with a pair of rabbits, and the estate owner's son, Jeffrey Tifton. Though his mother is set on Jeffrey going to a military academy after the summer's over, Jeffrey and the Penderwicks have other plans, including run-ins with a dangerous bull, soccer games, and first love.
My Take:
I adored this book! The characters were great and I loved each of the girls for their very individual personalities. The story was really fun, seeming bigger in scope than it actually was because the events, though small for most people, were bigger to the girls. It actually reminded me a little of Little Women: four sisters, a lonely little boy who lives next door and becomes their friend, absent parent (though this time it's the mother rather than the father), etc. I think my favorite parts involved Rosalind and her crush on the 18-year-old gardener, Mr. Penderwick's unwavering love for his daughters, and how Mrs. Tifton, though seeming to be the intractable evil mother figure, eventually learns to listen to Jeffrey's wishes and desires for his life and resolves to spend more time with him and to let him make his own decisions about where he'll go to school and what he'll do with his life.
Reviews:
School Library Journal ( July 01, 2006 ; 0-307-28577-4 )
Gr 4-6-In Jeanne Birdsall's humorous novel (Knopf, 2005), four motherless sisters-Rosalind, 12, Skye, 11, Jane, 10, and Batty, 4-their absentminded professor dad, and the family dog share a summer retreat on the Massachusetts estate of Arundel. Owned by the frosty Mrs. Tifton and her lonely son, Jeffrey, Arundel's pretentious mistress treats the oddly-matched Penderwick sisters and their doting father as social misfits. Feisty Skye and sensitive Jeffrey become best friends, drawing the reluctant Mrs. Tifton and the entire Penderwick clan into a series of hilarious misadventures, including runaway pets, an encounter with a bull, and a first crush. The sisters are determined to help Jeffrey escape being sent to the Pencey Military Academy, "Where boys become men and men become soldiers." Susan Denaker's gentle narration of this 2005 National Book Award winner perfectly captures the subtle humor and charm of each character. Fans of Sydney Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family or Maud Hart's Betsy-Tacy novels will love this updated version of a comfortable childhood adventure. Just the ticket for an extended family car trip.-Celeste Steward, Alameda County Library, Fremont, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Suggestions:
This book would be a great recommendation for late elementary and early junior high kids, and could also be used in book talks, especially if teachers or librarians were looking for a book to act as a gateway between older books like Little Women and other similar books with idyllic themes of growing up and the adventures you can have as a child).
Book Info:
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Penguin Group, 2006.
In her first year of high school, Melinda Sordino finds herself ostracized and ignored, completely snubbed by her former friends all because she called the cops during an end-of-summer party. Melinda sequesters herself inside her head, speaking only when absolutely necessary, and trying to navigate through high school as quietly and below-the-radar as she possibly can. However, even within the sanctity of her own mind, there are things Melinda doesn't want to remember, doesn't want to think about. Though her grades suffer drastically all year, the only class she seems to do well in is her art class, a place where she feels safe and where she feels she can express herself without words. But when things start to go from bad to worse for one of Melinda's former friends, Melinda finds that she can't stay silent for much longer.
My Take:
A beautiful and lyrical book that scared the bejeesus out of me. It's wonderfully written, but about such a horrifying topic that it's beauty acts as a brilliant juxtaposition to the horror of what Melinda went through. Despite the topic, I didn't want to put this book down; I wanted to know how Melinda would finally speak out, how her art project would turn out, whether she'd be able to return to some kind of normal life despite everything that had happened to her. I highly recommend this book to anyone, teen or adult. It's beautiful and horrifying but well worth the sadness and terror it reveals.
Reviews:
School Library Journal (October 01, 1999 ; 0-374-37152-0 )
Gr 8 Up-This powerful novel deals with a difficult yet important topic-rape. Melinda is just starting high school. It should be one of the greatest times in her life, but instead of enjoying herself, she is an outcast. She has been marked as the girl who called the police to break up the big end-of-the-summer party, and all the kids are angry at her. Even her closest friends have pulled away. No one knows why she made the call, and even Melinda can't really articulate what happened. As the school year goes on, her grades plummet and she withdraws into herself to the point that she's barely speaking. Her only refuge is her art class, where she learns to find ways to express some of her feelings. As her freshman year comes to an end, Melinda finally comes to terms with what happened to her-she was raped at that party by an upperclassman who is still taunting her at school. When he tries again, she finds her voice, and her classmates realize the truth. The healing process will take time, but Melinda no longer has to deal with it alone. Anderson expresses the emotions and the struggles of teenagers perfectly. Melinda's pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.-Dina Sherman, Brooklyn Children's Museum, NY Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Suggestions:
This book could be very useful in a book talk or a teen discussion group, especially as it might help teens learn that they can talk about things that trouble them, including topics like abuse and rape.
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