Meet the Penderwicks, four different sisters with one special bond. There's responsible, practical Rosalind; stubborn, feisty Skye; dreamy, artistic Jane; and shy little sister Batty, who won't go anywhere without her butterfly wings. When the girls and their doting father head off for their summer holiday, they are in for a surprise. Instead of the cozy, tumbledown cottage they expected, they find themselves on a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon the girls are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel's sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the most wonderful discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel's owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures. The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Which, of course, they will—won't they? One thing's for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget. Jeanne Birdsall says: "By the time I was ten or eleven, I'd run out of books to read. I promised myself then that I'd become a writer someday, to give readers like me a few more books to discover and enjoy. The Penderwicks is my first." Jeanne lives in Massachusetts with her husband, four cats, a rabbit, a pet snail, and a dog named Cagney. Susan Denaker's extensive theatre credits stretch from London to La Jolla. Her film and television work includes American Friends with Alfred Molina, and the BBC series As Time Goes By with Dame Judi Dench. In addition, she has done countless voiceovers and over 35 television commercials.

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Excerpted from The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
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