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The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Penderwicks (Quality))

Jeanne Birdsall

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Strictly OK 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My problem with the book, as many others have noted, is that it feels like it should be set in the past, yet isn't. Two of the girls' name evoke a different time period - Jane and Rosalyn - but then we get to Skye in her camo baseball hat, and I knew my mental image of the set up was wrong.

Mr. Penderwick is oddly absent through most of the book, yet the girls think he's a great father. I don't know how they even remember what he looks like, based on the fact that it's the girls who cook the meals, watch the younger children, organize all their adventures, and put themselves to bed.

But the thing that annoyed me the most about the book is how completely unrealistic the children's actions are based on their ages. Rosalyn, the eldest, is 11 I believe. Well, I have 6 and 8 year old girls, and I can tell you that really, the ages of these characters should be 18 to 6. Even odd little Batty is more articulate than your average 4 year old. I've read a number of children's books recently where the characters are supposed to be 11 and act like adults, and it makes me crazy.

Editorial Review:

This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel’s sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures.

The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Which, of course, they will—won’t they? One thing’s for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget.

Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day.


From the Hardcover edition.

Tea for Ruby (Paula Wiseman Books)

Sarah The Duchess of York Ferguson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

QUEEN FOR A DAY ? 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Young Ruby is a bit of a disaster. She doesn't mean to be, it's just that she believes fingers were made before forks. So, it's easy for food not only to wind up in her mouth but also in her hair. She doesn't have much use for napkins, and she talks with her mouth full.

Nonetheless, she is adorable and absolutely over the top when she receives an invitation to have tea with the Queen. Obviously, Ruby's manners need some polishing before sitting down with her majesty. So, everyone who knows her has a bit of advice- "Ruby, I hope you won't interrupt...I hope you'll sit up straight...I hope you won't shout," etc. All of this is a great deal for her to absorb.

Finally, the big day arrives. Young readers will be surprised at what it's like to have tea with the Queen.

Robin Preiss Glasser's illustrations are irresistible, filling every page with color. She's a generous illustrator and exuberantly captures all of Ruby's preparations.

Gail Cooke

Editorial Review:

That Ruby! Wherever she goes, table cloths accidentally pull dishes to the floor, flowers get trampled and spaghetti somehow end up in her hair. You can't take Ruby anywhere! One sunny morning, the postman brings Ruby an amazing invitation to have tea with -- the Queen! Ruby had better polish her manners and quickly. Will Ruby really be ready in time?

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and Robin Preiss Glasser know a thing or two about the importance of manners and poise and being ladylike. In Tea For Ruby, they have created the irrepressible Ruby, whose antics and foibles with touch readers' hearts as she tries her very best to do things correctly. In the end, she knows she is loved for who she is, and that she will always be a princess, royal or not!

Just Listen

Sarah Dessen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 119 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Wonderful, Real, And Engaging 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is the first Sarah Dessen book I have picked up, and randomly at that since this one looked the most interesting on her almost mini shrine at Borders Express. It blew me away. The characters were well-developed, and the author showed many unique qualities about each of them and gave us insight into the even the smallest characters. The dialouge was real and not forced. I felt transported to a high school and felt everything Annabel did.
Annabel Greene is a part-time model and seems like she has the perfect life. If you look through her glass house, all you see is the exterior though; not her real thoughts. The girl she thought was her best friend dumped her rudely and meanly at a party, and although the whole situation was underestimated, Annabel can't and won't tell anyone what happened that May night. Alone at school, Annabel becomes friends with the music loving and honest Owen, who had anger issues at one point but now has recovered and teaches Annabel about his way of thinking. But Annabel doesn't just have her former friend Sophie to deal with: her older sister Whitney suffers from an eating disorder, and the whole family is concentrated on her recovery. Annabel doesn't want to tell anyone anything at the risk of them getting hurt; as she tells Owen, she is a nice liar.
One thing that made this book so real was the thoughts that came to Annabel along the way, the revelations she had. It gives the reader a whole new perspective on the young adult world. I do not think anything can top this book: it was so real and wise that it might never be repeated again.
The author doesn't let any character get away, a depth is disocvered in each one. There were funny moments, there were sad moments, yet this book wasn't predictable or unpredictable: it was life, and that is what made it great.

Editorial Review:

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that’s the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf ’s Department Store.This year, she’s the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling.With Owen’s help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

In this multi-layered, impossible-to-put-down book, Sarah Dessen tells the story of a year in the life of a family coming to terms with the imperfections beneath its perfect facade.

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

Jeanne Birdsall

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Gentle subversion in kidlit clothing 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I can't exactly remember what it was that kept me from reading "The Penderwicks of Gardam Street" the minute it came out on bookstore and library shelves. As a children's librarian I certainly enjoyed Ms. Birdsall's previous title, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Penderwicks (Quality)), which garnered itself a bright and shiny National Book Award. Then there was all that talk about a resurgence of "old-fashioned" children's books and how "Penderwicks" marked a nostalgia trend. I didn't like that notion, and maybe that feeling ate away at the good time I'd had reading the novel. Maybe I felt guilty for liking it so much. Maybe that's what slowed my hand when it came to reading and reviewing the next Birdsall title. "I've read the first one," thought I. "How much more different could it be?" But then all these librarians and teachers stared telling me how good the sequel was. No, not just good. "Better than the original." Those were the exact words I heard from three different pairs of lips. And the general rule states that if three different pairs of lips tell you to read something, it is wise to follow their advice. So I finally finally FINALLY got around to picking up a copy and reading it and . . . . shoot. They were right. It really is better than the original. And the original, for all my hemming and hawing, was pretty darn good in its own right too.

Under normal circumstances Aunt Claire's visit to the Penderwick girls (Rosaline, Jane, Skye, and Batty) is a time of fun and jubilation. But when Claire announces that it was Mr. Penderwick's wife's dying wish that he eventually date and remarry, shock hits the girls. Rosalind, the eldest, takes it particularly hard and decides to institute a plan to save their father from the claws of some foul woman by setting him up on purposefully horrendous dates (thereby turning him off of the idea altogether). Of course there are other concerns clawing at the girls' attention. Skye and Jane have switched their homework yet again, and unfortunately it worked so well that Skye's English teacher has decided to stage "her" play with you-know-who in the lead. Rosalind, on top of this dating crisis, is dealing with the unwanted (?) attentions of next door neighbor Tommy Geiger. And even Batty has a situation of her own, involving the adorable little boy neighbor (and his beautiful and intelligent mother) and a creepy fellow lurking about the street whom she calls "Bug Man". Fortunately everything works out well in the end with the girls happier, wiser, and just as amusing as ever.

I know that there are some parents, teachers, and librarians out there amongst you for whom the term "classic" when applied to a contemporary work of children's fiction means only one thing to you: twee. Ootsy-cutesy. Sunshine, flowers, and suburbs full of white children acting as if it is 1959 and they haven't a care in the world. Well, let's examine this, shall we? First off, there's no denying that this is a book about four relatively well-off white girls living in the suburbs in a big beautiful house. Let the record also show, that in her defense Jeanne Birdsall has not pulled the old let's-just-throw-in-a-black-best-friend move that so many authors do in a fit of white guilt. There are kids of different races here but they fit in within the context of the story and not in a way that feels forced. And I know that everyone likes to discuss the Birdsall nostalgia factor, but does anyone properly credit how she doesn't fall back on the usual character stereotypes? Skye acts somewhat like a jock, but her interests lie in being smart in math and extremely tidy. Jane, in comparison, is the romantic Anne-of-Green-Gables-type of gal who is deeply into writing and daydreaming but who, on the side, turns into a Cockney soccer player when she gets into a skirmish on the field. These kids have a little depth to them, often when you least expect it.

Maybe the best argument that the book belongs to the past (though it seems pretty contemporary, just without iPods and things) are the two moments when Mr. Penderwick makes Latin references that any child familiar with the Harry Potter books would recognize. The first happens on page 50 when he mentions the word "bellatrix" and no one follows it up with the accompanying "Lestrange". The second time happens on page 65 when he describes his latest date with the term "cruciatus." The forbidden curse unfamiliar to kids? It is the only evidence that this family of readers isn't living in the here and now. The evidence against this theory? Well, there are little moments like when the rules on entering into Quigley Woods are discussed. In the past a kid would wander abandoned would with impunity. These days it's a good idea just to have a couple ground rules here and there.

I'll just sum up the name of the game here in one word: Subversive. This is a deeply subversive children's novel. Aw, look at your little skeptical faces. You don't think I can back that statement up, do you? Well, consider how Ms. Birdsall both acknowledges and plays with our expectations. You walk into this novel with a certain attitude on how it will be portrayed. Then you get to page seventy-four when Jane makes the argument that their father should date because: " `men have needs . . . I read that in a magazine.' `What needs?' asked Batty. `What magazine?' asked Skye." Cheeky. You won't find that conversation in an Elizabeth Enright novel, I'll tell you that right now.

I do love the characters too. I was particularly fond of Skye since she reminded me of my best friend growing up. I knew a Skye type once. In terms of character development Birdsall respects and provides the proper amount of small, almost invisible moments that make a person who they are. The telling snippets that expose our humanity beneath the exterior. Here's an example: There is a moment when Rosalind has been so wrapped up the notion of her father dating again that she has wandered off and failed to tell Batty her usual bedtime story. Batty is fond of repetition and desperately needs her story. When Rosalind finally comes home her over-tired little sister's interior monologue works itself up and up until she's in tears (I found the line about being worried that Skye would think her a coward particularly touching) and Rosalind finally takes her to bed and gives her the story. The moment could be done in such a way that Batty comes off as looking bratty, and really the fact that the child doesn't high herself henceward is a testament of writing right there. But for me, the really telling point is right at the end of the chapter where it says of Rosalind, " `Sleep well, Battikins,' she whispered, then watched over her for a long time, just in case she woke up again, still wanting a story." In a way, the book is also about the selfishness of childhood. Every kid just cares about what they care about. It takes an extraordinary amount of energy sometimes for a person, be they old or young, to crawl out of their own little shell of self-pity to see and aid a fellow human being, no matter how close to them they may be.

Finally, it's funny. That probably should have been my first point lo these many paragraphs ago. It's true in any case. I think I may have snorted in a particularly unladylike fashion when I read the poem that Jane wrote for Skye's homework assignment which went, "Tra-la the joy of tulips blooming, Ha-ha the thrill of bumblebees zooming. I'm alive and I dance, I'm alive though death is always looming" (remember what I said about subversion earlier?).

I was at an event recently where I expressed my pleasure with this book. My companion nodded politely and listened, but then asked if I didn't find the story just a bit . . . well . . . . much. I could see where she was coming from. We're dealing with a book that contains something called the "Save-Daddy Plan". On top of that the answer to the girls' woes is so seemingly obvious (to say nothing of the last-minute villain who would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for those meddling kids and their pesky dog) that even the youngest reader is bound to guess where the storyline is going. I'll grant that, but the degree to which a children's book is predictable doesn't necessarily bother me. When you judge a book written with a child audience in mind, familiar tropes are standard fare. What's important is how well the author plays with them. J.K. Rowling, after all, was not the first author to write about a kid going off to a school for magic. She just happened to write it best. Likewise, Birdsall isn't the first writer I've seen to come up with a storyline that involves matchmaking and the like, but she writes so bloody well that I doubt any child, no matter how jaded, is going to mind if they suspect where the plot is headed.

Kids actually dig these books, which shouldn't strike you as much of a surprise. For devoted readers there's a veritable bibliography within these pages as well. Copious amounts of Eve Ibbotson, Sense and Sensibility, The Phantom Tollbooth, and on and on. Birdsall's writing is also extremely accessible. Without relying on hoopla and bombast she ropes you in with just a sentence or two. There's something for everyone here. For the kids that like "old-fashioned stories" you can make the argument that Birdsall is conjuring up the distant past (what other novel out there today contains a kid with the name "Tommy" for heavens sake?). For those of you who couldn't care less about books with a classic feel and just want something funny, well written, and enticing, "The Penderwicks on Gardam Street" has your number. Even if you didn't much care for the first one, you're going to find a lot to love here. Better than the original.

Editorial Review:

THE PENDERWICK SISTERS are home on Gardam Street and ready for an adventure! But the adventure they get isn’t quite what they had in mind. Mr. Penderwick’s sister has decided it’s time for him to start dating—and the girls know that can only mean one thing: disaster. Enter the Save-Daddy Plan—a plot so brilliant, so bold, so funny, that only the Penderwick girls could have come up with it. It’s high jinks, big laughs, and loads of family warmth as the Penderwicks triumphantly return.

What's So Amazing about Grace?: International Edition

Philip Yancey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 188 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Christian Manifesto 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

God if we could just live the grace filled lives of this book. This is without a doubt one of the all time greats

What's So Amazing About Grace? 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Aside from the Bible, this is the best book I have ever read. This is a life-changing book about a life-changing subject. I find Philip Yancey to be a tremendous communicator. Since reading this book, I have bought and given away as gifts at least 7 copies of this book.

secret to happyness 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I just read the first chapters but this book has really touched me inside. The gospel is not a story about how to go to heaven or how to avoid hell. The gospel is the most beautiful love story ever told, about how God, being God, denied himself everything for our sake. And now, being totally acepted in Him, we are not left with the rest of our time on Earth to only daydream about heaven, but to enjoy the privilege and happyness of sharing God's love and grace with one another in this world. God does not want us to pay Him something back, He has everything He needs, He want us living close to Him, enjoying His company, His love, His grace, happy to be with Him and being a channel of His love and grace to the people around us.

Editorial Review:

On the heels of Philip Yancey's best-selling The Jesus I Never Knew comes this equally insightful exploration of grace, the most powerful force in the universe and our only hope for love and forgiveness. Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award, the Christian Book of the Year Award, and the Retailers Choice Award.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Fly High with Novel Units) (Teacher Guide)

Novel Units, Inc.

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 186 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is a classic! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Judy Blume's, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Puffin Books 1972), is a humorous tale of a nine-year-old boy named Peter and his younger brother, Fudge. Peter is consistently upset by three-year-old Fudge's antics, including disappearing at a movie theater while trying to touch the bears that appear on-screen and playing with Peter's turtle, Dribble without his permission. In addition to dealing with his annoying little brother, Peter must also hang out with Shelia, his nemesis from down the street. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is the first in the series of books about the Hatcher family. Blume's comedic scenes are not only naturally written, but they are believable as well. Fudge's apt for getting into trouble is sure to delight younger readers, while the tragic (albeit humorous) scene concerning Dribble will surely appeal to older readers of Blume's classic novel about a New York City family.

Editorial Review:

This time-saving, easy-to-use teacher guide includes inspiring lesson plans which provide a comprehensive novel unit--the legwork is done for you! The guide incorporates essential reading, writing and thinking practice. (This is NOT the paperback novel.)

There Was an Old Lady (Giant Lapbook Classic) (Big Books Series)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 70 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

What a HOOT!! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I remember this poem in song form from my childhood. I hadn't thought of it in years, until my grandson told me his teacher had read it to him in his pre-k class. I was delighted to find this book on Amazon.com. I was thrilled to see it's large size, bright colors, crazy pictures, the old lady's stomach expanding to accomodate each new animal. I wasn't bothered (as a child) by the phrase "perhaps she'll die," but I imagine my grandson will enjoy some of the "asides" that rhyme with "die." This book will be a gift to my grandson for his fourth birthday in a few days. I am looking forward to reading it to him! Or should I say, singing it to him!!

Love it! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great book. Have always wanted it and I really enjoy reading it with my son who likes it too!

Love this book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Loved this book as a kid - so had to buy it for my baby.

disappointed 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I don't remember if there were size dimensions given for this book, but I expected it to be twice the size. I have other books from this author and publisher and they are nice and big and easy for me to use in class. This book is really too small for me to read to my class. I am sadly disappointed.

Editorial Review:

The die-cut classics make superb lapbooks. 17" x 17" For children ages 3-8 years.

Rebel Angels

Libba Bray

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 119 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma’s visions intensify–visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain. . . .
The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girls’ great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship.
But all is not well in the realms–or out. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma’s willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother’s greatest friend–and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task.

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls) (Gallagher Girls)

Ally Carter

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Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

After staking out, obtaining, and then being forced to give up her first boyfriend, Josh, all Cammie Morgan wants is a peaceful semester. But that’s easier said than done when you’re a CIA legacy and go to the premier school in the world…for spies.

Cammie may have a genius I.Q., but there are still a lot of things she doesn’t know. Like, will her ex-boyfriend even remember she exists? And how much trouble is she really in after what happened last semester? And most of all, why is her mother acting so strangely?

Despite Cammie’s best intentions to be a normal student, danger seems to follow her. She and her friends learn that their school is going to play host to some mysterious guests - code name: Blackthorne. Then she’s blamed for a security breach that leaves the school’s top secret status at risk.

Soon Cammie and her friends are crawling through walls and surveilling the school to learn the truth about Blackthorne and clear Cammie’s name. Even though they have confidence in their spy skills, this time the targets are tougher (and hotter), and the stakes for Cammie’s heart - and her beloved school - are higher than ever.

Madeline's Christmas

Ludwig Bemelmans

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Little more than a Madeline Christmas card from Ludwig Bemelmans 3 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

"Madeline's Christmas" was originally published as a special book insert in the 1956 Christmas edition of "McCall's" magazine (which is where a shorter version of "Madeline and the Gypsies" would appear a couple of years later). It is the shortest of Ludwig Bemelmans six Madeline books and the only one in which all of the pages have full color illustrations instead of those familiar ones that are predominantly yellow. The story seems at first like it might be a take off on "The Night Before Christmas," since it interjects the first four lines of that poem after beginning with the familiar recap of the old house covered with vines, the twelve girls, and Madeline's inevitable retort to the tiger at the zoo. But it turns out that everybody in the house, from Miss Clavel to a poor mouse, are in bed with cold. Everyone, of course, except for brave little Madeline.

Madeline is taking care of everybody, cleaning and cooking, and when a rug merchant shows up with 12 rugs to sell, she buys them so everybody in the house will not have to put their feet on the cold floor when they get out of bed. Without his rugs the merchant gets frozen and Madeline has to take care of him. By this point you are wondering why this is a Christmas story as opposed one where it is just snowy and cold, but it seems the merchant is also a magician and you know what that makes those rugs.

This is a minor Madeline story and while we finally get to see Madeline's parents, it does make you wonder why the twelve little girls are still at the house all covered with vines at Christmas time. But then it was never clear if Miss Clavel was running a boarding school or an orphanage or what, and I am afraid "Madeline's Christmas" only confuses things (I did a bit of research and discovered Bemelmans was working on the stories his mother told him about life in a convent school in Altotting). So this effort is a trifle all things considered and you will not really find anything inside the book as you find on the cover, with the Eiffel Tower done up like a Christmas tree.