Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're joining Rockstar Book Tours & Publicity for a GINORMOUS bookish celebration starring a Children's Fiction title COMING SOON to a bookstore shelf near you via Knopf Books for Young Readers! It's been 14 years since the first title in the series was released, but whether you're a lifelong reader of this author's work or just joining the fandom now (*raises hand*), this stellar book can be thoroughly enjoyed all on its own. Of course, now that I've been exposed to the series, you best believe I'll be seeking out the prior releases, but I digress...we're here to talk about the here, the now, the FINAL time we'll meet the endearing Penderwick clan in a story all their own. So, ready or not fair readers, here comes today's book of choice...
The Penderwicks, Book 5
by
Jeanne Birdsall
9780385755672
Knopf Books for Young Readers
About the book...
The finale you've all been waiting for: The Penderwicks at Last is the final, flawless installment in the modern classic series from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Jeanne Birdsall!
Nine years, five older siblings, a few beloved dogs, and an endless array of adventures--these are the things that have shaped Lydia's journey since readers first met her in The Penderwicks in Spring.
Now it's summertime, and eleven-year-old Lydia is dancing at the bus stop, waiting for big sister Batty to get home from college.
This is a very important dance and a very important wait because the two youngest sisters are about to arrive home to find out that the Penderwicks will all be returning to Arundel this summer, the place where it all began. And better still is the occasion: a good old-fashioned, homemade-by-Penderwicks wedding.
Bursting with heart and brimming with charm, this is a joyful, hilarious ode to the family we love best. And oh my MOPS--Meeting of Penderwick Siblings--does Jeanne Birdsall's The Penderwicks at Last crescendo to one perfect Penderwick finale.
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This was truly an enchanting journey.
It's not that SO MUCH happens, or the action is nonstop, or the mysteries are unending. It's more a story that meanders through the character's lives, strewn with the past as well as new memories in waiting, gathering together like so many wildflowers in a clutch, creating a story to slowly traverse and enjoy line by line, page by page.
Lydia was such a wonderful little narrator, telling us things as only an eleven year old can, with mirth, unknown accuracy, imagination galore, and so much optimism (no matter how much she persists she doesn't like everyone) you can't help but smile and dance along with her. Her new little friend with the "unfortunate" name was an equal delight, matching Lydia's spirit, step for step and bird call for bird call. The sisters were a mixed bag, but such a joy to get to know! If I had to pick favorites...I really can't. Sorry! They are all equally memorable, however we do get to know Batty in this story a bit more than the others, and I will say this...I hope hope HOPE she's the one to break the "no one wants to marry" a certain someone "promise" sought by Ms. Tifton (an equally beguiling woman, if ever there was...though I think underneath the pickle puss she's famous for is actually a warmer heart). Let us know forget the puppy friends that abound. From giant pups of wonder to tiny dogs galore to those somewhere in-between, our four-legged friends certainly play a big role in this wonderful tail...I mean tale.
In the end, I enjoyed my time in Arundel immensely, and couldn't recommend a better escape this summer for readers young in years or simply young at heart. It's a heart warming tale that'll stick with you long after the final page is turned, and though bittersweet as it's the final installment in the series, there's always the shiny rainbow of a reread to perk your spirits right back up.
It's not that SO MUCH happens, or the action is nonstop, or the mysteries are unending. It's more a story that meanders through the character's lives, strewn with the past as well as new memories in waiting, gathering together like so many wildflowers in a clutch, creating a story to slowly traverse and enjoy line by line, page by page.
Lydia was such a wonderful little narrator, telling us things as only an eleven year old can, with mirth, unknown accuracy, imagination galore, and so much optimism (no matter how much she persists she doesn't like everyone) you can't help but smile and dance along with her. Her new little friend with the "unfortunate" name was an equal delight, matching Lydia's spirit, step for step and bird call for bird call. The sisters were a mixed bag, but such a joy to get to know! If I had to pick favorites...I really can't. Sorry! They are all equally memorable, however we do get to know Batty in this story a bit more than the others, and I will say this...I hope hope HOPE she's the one to break the "no one wants to marry" a certain someone "promise" sought by Ms. Tifton (an equally beguiling woman, if ever there was...though I think underneath the pickle puss she's famous for is actually a warmer heart). Let us know forget the puppy friends that abound. From giant pups of wonder to tiny dogs galore to those somewhere in-between, our four-legged friends certainly play a big role in this wonderful tail...I mean tale.
In the end, I enjoyed my time in Arundel immensely, and couldn't recommend a better escape this summer for readers young in years or simply young at heart. It's a heart warming tale that'll stick with you long after the final page is turned, and though bittersweet as it's the final installment in the series, there's always the shiny rainbow of a reread to perk your spirits right back up.
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About the author...
Jeanne Birdsall grew up in the suburbs west of Philadelphia, where she attended wonderful public schools. Jeanne had lots of great teachers, but her favorites were: Mrs. Corkhill, sixth grade, who encouraged her intellectual curiosity; Mr. Tremonte, eighth grade algebra, who taught Jeanne to love and respect math; and Miss Basehore, second and fourth year Latin, to whom Jeanne (and Mr. Penderwick) will be forever grateful.
Although she first decided to become a writer when she was ten years old, it took Jeanne until she was forty-one to get started. In the years in between, Jeanne had many strange jobs to support herself, and also worked hard as a photographer, the kind that makes art. Some of Jeanne's photographs are included in the permanent collections of museums, including the Smithsonian and the Philadelphia Art Museum. Her work can be seen in several galleries, including the R. Michelson Galleries in western Massachusetts.
Jeanne's home now is with her husband in Northampton, Massachusetts. Their house is old and comfortable, full of unruly animals, and surrounded by gardens.
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Special thanks to Jaime at Rockstar Book Tours & Publicity for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the Penguin Random House team for the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the series, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is set to release on May 15th, 2018 via Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today! Don't miss the other stops on the tour for more bookish fun...
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
Week Two:
5/18/2018- The Desert Bibliophile- Review
BEFORE YOU GO...
DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN IN THE TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY!
The prize...
(1) of 3 finished copies of THE PENDERWICKS AT LAST!
Open to US entries only.
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