This is a fun book filled with romance and adventure you won’t want to put down. It’s about Mr. Penderwick and his four daughters, Skye, A Math Wiz, Jane, The Romantic Writer, Rosalind, The Oldest and Wisest, and lastly, the youngest, Batty-and she’s just adorable! They go on a family vacation in a rented cottage at Arundel, home of snooty Mrs. Tifton, her son, Jeffery, and her boyfriend, Dexter. Now, let me get something straight about Mrs. Tifton. She is rude, judgmental, lives in a gorgeous mansion complete with large gardens, has such a short liesh on Jeffery (it’s already been planned he has to go to military school. He doesn’t want to go, and he hates the way his mother acts), and Dexter…not the warmest of fellows, meaning he is perfect for Mrs. Tifton! Ha ha! Later on, the girls become great friends with Jeffery, Mrs. Tifton’s son, and Cagney, who takes care of Mrs. Tifton’ s gardens so she could win the garden contest. However, Mrs. Tifton doesn’t believe that the Penderwick girls are the “right people” for Jeffery to hang out with, same with Dexter. The girls do tend to run around and get themselves into trouble, but they are sweet and kind. Mrs. Tifton then goes too far everytime she spots the children playing her garden by calling the girls names, insulting the Penderwick family, and making fun of their mother that passed away. Mrs. Tifton has gotten furious at the innocent girls and wants them out. How awful! The big shock in the book was when the girls are at Jeffery’s birthday party. Mrs. Tifton is being her usual rude self, except she had Dexter there to silently cheer her on. Great. But then, the girls and Jeffery start playing outside when Mrs. Tifton comes outside with Dexter and starts dancing. The children weren’t spotted yet, so they listened in on their conversation. Mrs. Tifton was asking if they should get married, because “when a child’s mother is happy the child is” (NOT!) and they planned to send him off. How cruel! What’s going to happen to Jeffery? Will his mom marry Dexter? Will Jeffery be sent off? To know these juicy secrets, read The Penderwicks. I enjoyed this book a lot, which means it’s very good since I don’t like reading! Boy or girl, you’ll love it.

Sophia R.