Bibliography
Birdsall, J. (2005). The Penderwicks. New York, NY: Random House Inc..
Summary of the Plot
The Penderwicks are four sisters, that are as different from night and day, however as close as siblings can be the Penderwick sisters are just that. Rosalind, Skye, Jane, little Batty and their absent-minded father head off for their summer holidays, but instead of the usual summer holiday cottages that their father rents, they find themselves on a huge estate called Arundel, with magnificent gardens that they can't wait to explore. While exploring the gardens, the girls find Jeffrey who is the son of Mrs. Tifton the owner of Arundel. Jeffrey wants to be a musician, however his mother wants him to attend the military school that her father attended. Rosalind thinks she falls in love with the gardener Cagney. By the end of the story, Jeffrey has decided that he will run away to avoid going to the military school and Mrs. Tifton thinks the Penderwicks have helped him.
Vi's Vibes
The Penderwicks is a story about four sisters who look out for one another and take care of each other through the fun times and the hard times. During their summer holiday, they meet a young boy named Jeffrey who is being raised by his single mother on their large estate known as Arundel. The sisters spend the summer having fun on Arundel with their absent-minded father. As the summer progresses, they face some hardships like when Batty goes into the field to pick flowers unbeknownst to her this is the field that the bull lives in. Jeffrey grabs the attention of the bull while the sister goes after Batty who does not even realize that she is in danger. This story is an excellent read for siblings because the Penderwicks stick with each other and their friends through thick and thin.
Reviews
Gr 4-6 -In Jeanne Birdsall -s humorous novel (Knopf, 2005), four motherless sisters -Rosalind, 12, Skye, 11, Jane, 10, and Batty, 4 -their absentminded professor dad, and the family dog share a summer retreat on the Massachusetts estate of Arundel. Owned by the frosty Mrs. Tifton and her lonely son, Jeffrey, Arundel -s pretentious mistress treats the oddly-matched Penderwick sisters and their doting father as social misfits. Feisty Skye and sensitive Jeffrey become best friends, drawing the reluctant Mrs. Tifton and the entire Penderwick clan into a series of hilarious misadventures, including runaway pets, an encounter with a bull, and a first crush. The sisters are determined to help Jeffrey escape being sent to the Pencey Military Academy, -Where boys become men and men become soldiers. - Susan Denaker -s gentle narration of this 2005 National Book Award winner perfectly captures the subtle humor and charm of each character. Fans of Sydney Taylor -s "All-of-a-Kind Family" or Maud Hart -s Betsy-Tacy novels will love this updated version of a comfortable childhood adventure. Just the ticket for an extended family car trip. -"Celeste Steward, Alameda County Library, Fremont, CA"
School Library Journal July 2006
Utilization for Library Classes
For this story, I would have the children discuss the friends that they have in their life. I would have them discuss the characteristics of friends that they enjoy spending time with. I would have them do a compare and contrast with The Penderwicks and The Secret Garden. The students could compare the friendships found in the two books as well as the parental roles in both books.
Another way to use The Penderwicks in your class would be to discuss talents of young people since Jeffrey was an accomplished pianist. Perhaps some of your students have talents that they may not brag about to others and you could spotlight different talents. Making sure to stress that each child is important even if they are not a child prodigy.
Book Cover
Bibliography
Korman, G. (2000). No more dead dogs. New York, NY: Hyperion Books.
Summary of the Plot
Wallace Wallace never lies, even when the truth hurts. Even when it gets him detention and he goes from football hero to drama club nerd. Mr. Fogelman assigns detention to Wallace because he does not write a favorable book report for the book Shep Old Pal. He didn't like the book and was truthful in the book report. The reason that Wallace always told the truth was because of the lies that his Dad always told to impress Wallace. Because of detention, Wallace cannot attend football practice and must sit through play practice. What play is the drama club performing none other than Shep Old Pal. Wallace offers suggestions to the drama club about how to make the play better and his suggestions are well-received. However someone is attacking the play by destroying props but they cannot figure out who it might be. Could it be Wallace, another football player or someone else? When times get tough, Wallace finds out who his true friends are and that sometimes, a lie might spare someone’s feelings.
Vi's Vibes
As a dog lover, I wasn't for sure what to take from the title but one of my friend's assured me I would love it. Sure enough I did. The story starts off with the introduction of Wallace Wallace and his parents arguing over lying. Wallace decides that he will never tell a lie. No matter the reason but this gets Wallace into trouble at school because he writes a book report that his teacher does not agree with. This story chronicles the troubles of a junior high boy as he struggles trying to please his so called friends, the football team, and realizing that his true friends might actually be the drama team. This story contains mystery as Wallace and the drama team try to figure out who is sabotaging the play. Finally in the end it is discovered that one of Wallace's younger admirers is responsible for the woes of the play. He really only wants Wallace to return to the football team.
Reviews
Gr. 5-7. Here's one for every reader weary of being assigned novels in which the dog dies. For expressing his true views of Old Shep, My Pal, eighth-grade football hero Wallace Wallace earns a detention that takes him off the team and plunks him down in the auditorium, where his almost equally stubborn English teacher is directing a theatrical version of--you guessed it. To the delight of some cast members, but the loud outrage....
Accessed December 5,2009 http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-10131250_ITM
Utilization for Library Classes
Using this statement from the book Wallace says about Old Shep, My Pal, "The dog always dies. Go to the library and pick out a book with an award sticker and a dog on the cover. Trust me, that dog is going down." I would ask the students the following questions. Have you read any books that fit this description? What did you think of them? Do you think it is true what Wallace said about dog books? Why or Why not?
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