The Penderwicks: In Spring

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WARNING: AS THIS IS THE 4th BOOK IN THIS SERIES, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST 3 BOOKS.

The Penderwicks in Spring by Jane Birdsall is the fourth in a series of charming tales about a delightful family of 8. This number has grown since the first book of the series. The family originally introduced to us being made up of Mr. Penderwick, an amazing single father who loves his daughters with all his heart along with his love of Latin which he puts to use from time to time. His lovely wife died soon after the youngest Penderwick was born, due to Cancer. Rosalind is the oldest sister, and as such she took on a sort of motherly role for Batty, the youngest, always putting her to bed and walking her to school. Rosalind was always Batty's favorite sister very much and it still shows in this book. Rosalind is a freshman in College and Batty is literally counting down the days until Rosalind will return home. Skye is the next oldest, now a senior in high school, there is no less fire to her personality. She loves to explore and has always loved science and the like. Recently, she has been having some trouble with Jeffery, an honorary Penderwick that the girls met years ago on vacation(in the first book). He has admitted his love for her and she is unable to see him as anything but a brother but he will not give up. For this reason she has vanished him from the Penderwick household which has upset everyone because Jeffery is dearly loved by everyone, especially Batty. Jane is the next sister, she has loved reading and writing since she was able to read and write! She has always wanted to be an author and that hasn't changed now. She is very sweet and mellow with a great imagination.
Batty is the main focus of this particular book. She is in fifth grade now and has recently discovered a marvelous surprise relating to her love of music. She wants to share it with her whole family on her upcoming 11th birthday with the help of her music "mentore" Jeffery. They bonded over piano when they first met, 7 years ago. Four year old Batty had always been very shy, but had loved Jeffery from the beginning. But between an overheard conversation, lack of money, and a few times getting lost in the woods(or a bus stop), and a new boy coming home with Rosalind, all her plans seem to be falling apart for her big surprise. Ben was just a baby when he joined the Penderwick family, and now does not remember life outside of it. His favorite pastime is digging in rocks and he could not enjoy it more. He is very close with Batty and is unwillingly adored by his baby sister Lydia, who is the youngest sibling, and the only one born after Iantha and Mr. Penderwick got married. 
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a good continuation of this series. I started reading this series when I was younger and had forgotten about it until now. This book shows good character development while also making it gradual and making it clear what has caused the change. I like that this book focuses on Batty for the most part. If the author were to try to include as much activity and excitement for each character, the book could become confusing to keep up with because there are so many characters. The plot is creative and yet does not have any major plot twists that don't make sense or throw off the book. Some things that I think would make this book better is if it would move along more quickly. Some parts of this book can feel slow when their day to day life is being spelled out for the reader. I would have also liked there to be more clarification on a particular part of the book where Skye was upset with Batty. Overall this was a great book and I would definitely recommend this series, one of my favorites. :)
-Jenna

(also, I recommended this to Mr. Mitchell's library so you can find the series there if you're interested)

Comments

  1. Icicle (Nate)January 31, 2020 at 6:14 PM

    I read this whole series and I agree that it was great! I don't remember a ton of it, but your detailed plot summary (and character summary) helped jog my memory. I really like how you described the sisters (and Ben i guess) and listed the characteristics of each one. I also agree that it was good that the book focuses on Batty and that otherwise it would get confusing. I do like that you mentioned that the book can be slow sometimes, and I remember feeling the same way when reading it. Overall, a great review that made me remember a great series!

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  2. AnuprovaFebruary 2, 2020 at 9:26 AM

    I've never read this series or even heard of it, but after reading your review, I might give it a try! I thought that your summary of the book was great, as you were able to explain the personalities of all the different characters without confusing the reader. I appreciate your warning about the pacing of the book, and I will definitely keep that in mind if I read the series. Nice job!

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