Reviews for The Penderwicks at last
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
*Starred Review* Our 2005 review of The Penderwicks (which went on to win the National Book Award) ended with the words, it would be nice to see more of the Penderwicks. Now, in this fifth volume, we see the last of them. Lydia, who wasn't born when the first book began, takes center stage. Her oldest half-sister is getting married at the Arundel estate, where the series began. As in previous volumes, events occur the wedding being most important and reading to new friend Alice's sheep possibly the least but it is the warm familial interplay and the bright uniqueness of the characters that continues to make these books stand out. In the case of Lydia, born to dance, the focus is on her ability to maintain her sense of self amid the many strong, delightful characters surrounding her. Fans of previous books will also be excited to learn the fates of Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty especially Batty whose tangled romances might point the way to a forever love. Beautifully crafted, both in descriptions and characterizations, this makes for a fitting end to a much-praised series. One note: Lydia is only 11, and Alice is a real hoot. So it's not difficult to imagine a spin-off. Hint, hint.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2018 Booklist
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
In this final installment of Birdsall's Penderwicks series, the lovable, uniquely talented Penderwick family returns to the setting of the first novel, Arundel, a grand estate in the Berkshires, where oldest daughter Rosalind is to be wed to her boyfriend Tommy. Youngest daughter Lydia, now age 11, was not yet born when the rest of the clan visited there 15 years ago, but she's heard about its wonders and is thrilled to arrive early with sister Batty and their two dogs to help with preparations. In true Penderwick fashion, Lydia makes every day an adventure with her newfound friend Alice, the daughter of Arundel's caretaker. There are plenty of surprises in store for the two, including an array of welcome and unwelcome visitors. The excitement and boisterous activity that permeate all the previous books are in abundance here as well, as Lydia's siblings join her at Arundel, showcasing their individual skills and working together to creatively solve all conflicts during MOPS (meetings of Penderwick siblings). Full of reunions with old friends, fond remembrances of good times, and developments of new friendships (and at least one possible romance), the novel provides closure, and at the same time opens the door to new possibilities as Lydia and her brother and sisters go "prancing, leaping, gamboling into the future." Ages 8-12. Agent: Barbara S. Kouts. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Gr 4-6-Lydia, the youngest Penderwick sibling, is now 11 and takes center stage in this fifth and final entry in the National Book Award-winning series. And what a stage she has: the story is set at Arundel, the legendary estate which, for Lydia, has previously existed only in her sisters' stories. The last time the entire family was at the estate was 15 years ago; now they are gathered for Rosalind and Skye's double wedding. Lydia is eager to explore the place "where the possibilities for adventure are endless." She finds a kindred spirit in Alice Pelletier, who lives in the cottage where the Penderwicks stayed and whose father is Cagney, the object of Rosalind's preteen crush, now a history teacher and the estate's caretaker. Lydia and her siblings are less pleased to see another Arundel native: Mrs. Tifton, who remains a rigid and humorless foil for the Penderwicks' exuberance. The wedding serves as a seamless device to bring back more characters from previous books who arrive at the ceremony with pleasant surprises. Birdsall's writing, effervescent as ever, turns routine moments into delightful vignettes: Lydia finds an abandoned chair leg under a couch, "stoically waiting for the rest of its chair to come back." While Birdsall provides enough backstory for this entry to stand on its own, she rewards fans of the series with a meeting that brings the saga full circle and a closing image reassuring readers that the Penderwicks, like imagination and adventure, will live forever. VERDICT A richly satisfying curtain call for a beloved series.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
The beloved family is backand taking their final bow.In this fifth and final title in the endearing series, the spotlight is on the youngest sibling, now-11-year-old Lydia, would-be dancer. Everyone's gearing up for the wedding of eldest sister Rosalind, scrambling to ensure the happy couple can get hitched without a hitch at Arundel, the imposing estate where the Penderwick saga began (The Penderwicks, 2005). Thrown into the mix is an older brother who's aspiring to be a film director; riotous animals, including a stair-climbing chicken and an independent-minded sheep; and snooty interference from the estate's former owner. Lydia meets a new gal pal; gets embroiled in the arrangements of what eventually evolves into a double wedding; and emerges as her own winning personality. As in the other series titles, Birdsall writes with a knowing, breezy hand and infuses cozy, old-fashioned, humorous warmth into the proceedings while adhering to a white default. Occasionally, Lydia comes across as younger than her years. Still, readers will appreciate the younger girl's antics and the numerous musical references (which threaten to date the novel) and will likely swoon over the wedding details, some unrealistic. Certainly, die-hard fans will rejoice that the author virtually promises that two very popular characters will wed several years hence. Is an encore to come?Please don't go, Penderwicks; it's too soon to say goodbye. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
The Penderwick series finale is a summertime reverie set at the Arundel estate where it all began fifteen years before. With soon-to-be-married eldest sibling Rosalind and middle sisters Skye, Jane, and Batty (mostly) grown-up, likable youngest half-sister Lydia, a dancer, takes center stage. Although fans will be sad to say goodbye, they'll be content to see the Penderwicks go "prancing, leaping, gamboling into the future. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
