The PenderwicksA Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
Written by Jeanne Birdsall
2005 Newbery Honor Book
2005 National Book Award
Summary
Meet the Penderwick Family; sensible Rosalind, energetic Skye, Jane, the author, batty the four-year old, Mr. Penderwick the pre-occupied botanist, and Hound the dog. Their summer vacation house has been sold, so they must embark on a new vacation plan by renting a cottage from the snooty Mrs. Tifton, who lives in the adjacent mansion. Her son, Jeffrey, captures the attention of the four Penderwick daughters, and the group of them have a host of adventures. The girls do what they can to "rescue" Jeffrey from being sent to military school by his mother, who dreams of her son following in her father's footsteps. Jeffrey, however, only dreams of playing the piano. Both the Penderwicks and the Tiftons learn valuable lessons about friendship, responsibility, and unselfish love.
My Impressions
The Penderwicks is a tale reminiscent of those written by Elizabeth Enright and Edward Eager. The girls are raised by a single parent who encourages free thought and intellectualism; references are made to classic literature, music, and art, and the father frequently speaks in Latin. The Penderwicks explores class distinction through exaggerated characters. The father is an educated college professor who is the epitome of kindness and wisdom, while the antagonist is the horrible rich woman and her boyfriend of lower than average intelligence who frequently say nasty things about the Penderwick's social status. The story is improbable, and the resolution questionable. However, it's a fun read that young readers (especially well-read ones) can really enjoy-- if only because of the loveable quality of the well-defined characters.
Reviews
This enjoyable tale of four sisters, a new friend, and his snooty mother is rollicking fun... Problems are solved and lessons learned in this wonderful, humorous book that features characters whom readers will immediately love, as well as a superb writing style. Bring on more of the Penderwicks!-Starred Review from School Library Journal; B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY
Adults who have been longing to find books for children that remind them of their own childhood favorites need look no further. Birdsall follows in the footsteps of Elizabeth Enright, Edward Eager, and Noel Streatfeild, updating the family story yet keeping all the old-fashioned charm... On one level, Birdsall might be criticized for one-dimensional characterizations... But what this comforting family story does offer are four marvelously appealing sisters, true childhood behavior (disobeying, running away, a first crush), and a writing style that will draw readers close. So satisfying, the story begs for a sequel: it would be nice to see more of the Penderwicks. Starred Review for Booklist; Ilene Cooper.
Activities
The Penderwicks could be included in a book talk centered on a variety of topics: Summer Vacation, "Orphan" literature, Siblings/Family, and Friendship.
Bibliography
Birdsall, Jeanne. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. ISBN: 0375831436
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth GirlA Novel by Barry Lyga
Summary
"Fanboy" is the smartest kid in school, is writing his own comic book masterpiece, and only has one friend-- a jock who can't be seen with him at school in front of his athletic friends. His mother is pregnant with the step-facist's spawn, and to make matters worse, he has to deal with a multitude of bullies and teachers who are willing to look the other way. Fanboy develops The List, and carries a bullet around with him everywhere he goes. It takes an unlikely friendship with Kyra the "Goth Girl" for him to find his confidence and stand up for himself and his friends. He even learns to accept his family and help Kyra in the end.
My Impressions
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl is an interesting story about two kids who wouldn't normally befriend each other. The protagonist has to deal with a myriad of problems typically faced by male teens: hormones, bullies, and feeling inadequate. He also has to deal with his separated parents, his new stepfather, and his pregnant mother. "Fanboy" becomes friends with a "Goth" girls who helps him find his confidence and potential. The book is told from the first person point of view, so we can only guess at "Goth Girl's" problems (which are many), but are allowed intimate insight into the realm of the male teen-age mind.
Reviews
On good days, Fanboy is invisible to the students at his high school. On bad ones, he's a target for bullying and violence... Lyga looks at how teens are pushed to their limits by society. Though he toys with such concepts as teen suicide and Columbine-like violence, the novel never turns tragic. His love of comics carries over into all three teen characters, breathing animation into a potentially sad but often funny story. This is a great bridge book for teens who already like graphic novels. Starred Review for Library School Journal; Stephanie L. Petruso, Anne Arundel County Public Library, Odenton, MD
...The insider comics details will slow some readers, and the open-ended questions about Kyra's personal story will frustrate others. Yet Fanboy's whip-smart, often hilariously sarcastic voice skillfully captures a teenager's growing self-awareness, and adds a fresh, urgent perspective to age-old questions about how young people cope with bullying and their own feelings of helplessness, rage, and being misunderstood as they try to discover themselves. Starred Review for Booklist; Gillian Engberg.
Activities
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl could be used as part of a lesson on bullying and violence in schools. The Columbine Shootings could also be discussed, as well as ways for students to protect themselves and find non-violent solutions to probelms in schools.
Bibliography
Lyga, Barry. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. ISBN: 0618723927
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