Review: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street (The Penderwicks #2), by Jeanne Birdsall

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street (The Penderwicks #2)
By Jeanne Birdsall
Publication Date: April 8th, 2008 (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Hardcover, 320 pages
Genre: Childrens; Realistic Fiction;
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

The Penderwick sisters are home on Gardam Street and ready for an adventure! But the adventure they get isn't quite what they had in mind. Mr. Penderwick's sister has decided it's time for him to start dating—and the girls know that can only mean one thing: disaster.

Enter the Save-Daddy-Plan—a plot so brilliant, so bold, so funny, that only the Penderwick girls could have come up with it. But in the meantime, they have some other problems to deal with. Rosalind can't seem to get the annoying Tommy Geiger out of her hair—and she can't stand him, really. Skye loses her temper on the soccer field in a most undignified manner. Jane's love of creative writing leads her into deep waters. And Batty's getting into mischief spying on the new next-door neighbor. As for Hound, he's always in trouble.

It's high jinks, big laughs, and loads of family warmth as the Penderwicks triumphantly return!

—from the book's dust jacket

REVEIW:

Jeanne Birdsall, one of my favorite authors.

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street is the sequel to the first book in The Penderwicks Series, The Penderwicks: A Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, which won the National Book award for Young People's Literature in 2005.

You'll fall in love with main characters Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty all over again, and I'm so speechless that I can't really say much else about this unique book.

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street had this utterly timeless feeling, just like the first one. In other words, even though I'm only seventeen, I know I'll be reading The Penderwicks to my children before they go to bed (and it will be accompanied with milk tea and a warm slice of honey lavender loaf). The Penderwicks: A Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, the first Penderwick book, was better than The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, but not by a long shot.

Twice I've read a Penderwick book, and twice I've never wanted to leave the Penderwick dominion. I want to live for all and eternity in The Penderwick book. Once again, I was so upset when The Penderwicks on Gardam Street ended, and once again, I never wanted to finish it because it was so perfect, enchanting, and whimsical. 

Lovers of Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, or Little Woman, by Louisa May Alcott will be delighted with any Penderwicks book.

RATING:

Review: Then (Once #2), by Morris Gleitzman

Then (Once #2)
By Morris Gleitzman
Publication Date: March 1st, 2008 (Puffin Books)
Hardcover, 198 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction; Holocaust; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION (WHICH CONTAINS SPOILERS TO THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES, ONCE; SO, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ONCE, DON'T READ THIS  BOOK DESCRIPTION):

Felix and Zelda have escaped the train to the death camp, but where to they go now? They're two runaway kids in Nazi-occupied Poland. Danger lies at every turn of the road.

With the help of a woman named Genia and their active imaginations, Felix and Zelda find a new home and begin to heal, forming a new family together. But can it last?

Morris Gleitzman's winning characters will tug at readers' hearts as they struggle to survive in the harsh political climate of Poland in 1942. Their lives are difficult, but they always remember what matters: family, love, and hope.

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

The Once Trilogy—and especially this book, Then—is a gazillion times more heartbreaking than The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. 

Then, is told by Felix, a ten-year-old Jewish boy, who is reminiscent of—but not as clueless as—Bruno from The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (however, I guess Felix being less clueless of the Holocaust than Bruno makes sense, since Felix is a Jewish boy living through the horror, and Bruno is a Nazi officer's son, sheltered from most of the violence). The plot follows Felix as he struggles to take care of and protect his friend/adopted sister, Zelda.

As much as I love Felix, he is a bit naive and that's something I don't really tolerate in main characters, especially in Holocaust fiction. When the main character comes across a pit of dead children, all twisted and tangled up together, his first though shouldn't be "They're all sleeping together," even if he first thinks this when he is not up close to the child-body pit. 

Zelda was a lot more ignorant, but since she was only six-years-old, her ignorance gets a sort of pass. Zelda was strong-willed and ill-tempered most of the time. Her trademark saying is "Don't you know anything?" and this is usually what she snaps at Felix. Because of her quarrelsome nature, the tender moments she had with Felix made her lovable in her own way.

I may have loved Felix and Zelda, but Amon was my favorite favorite favorite character, even though he wasn't highlighted in Then very often. The parts that he was in introduced me to a very caring and sympathetic person, and I hope to see him in the next book in the Once Series, Now.

Then, by Morris Gleitzman was tragic and beautiful, and I can't wait to read the next book, Now.

RATING:

Review: Deadly Little Secret (Touch #1), by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Deadly Little Secret (Touch #1)
By Laurie Faria Stolarz
Publication Date: December 16th, 2008 (Hyperion)
Hardcover, 252 pages
Genre: Paranormal; Mystery; Romance; Suspense; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at an art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes far from ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfirned's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead she's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help—but can he be trusted? She know he's hiding something...but he's not the only one with a secret.

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

Here is a tasty morsel of what is to happen between the pages of Deadly Little Secret:

You walk into you bedroom one day after school. You find the the window was up, only you didn't remember opening it before you went to school. You turn to your mirror...and scrawled on it is the word "bitch" in blood red lipstick...you know someone has been watching you...following you...but who?

And suspenseful tastes like the one above, dear reader, is what will keep you reading Deadly Little Secret, by Laurie Faria Stolarz. Deadly Little Secret is the first book in a series of five, known as "Touch Novels." I'm wishy-washy at the moment about whether I'm going to finish the series. Why? I didn't find the plot—especially the writing style—very interesting or engaging. 

While I didn't find the writing style or plot special (it was mediocre), a few redeeming points in the book sparkled. The dialogue between the characters rocked; it was humorous, especially when Camelia's friends Kimmie and Wes were talking, which was most of the book (yay). Speaking of Kimmie and Wes, you'll wish you had friends like them and you'll go head-over-heals for their personalities. Also, the mystery of who was stalking Camelia was a page-turning factor. 

It's safe to say, however, that I hated Camelia. She has to be one of the worst. Heroines. Ever. Seriously, she does nothing whatsoever except make some bowls at a local art studio.

Deadly Little Secret was basically Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick—which is essentially like Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer—except Hush, Hush (especially) and Twilight (not so much) are a billion times better written. Even Camelia's best friend, Kimmie, reminded me of the Hush, Hush main character's best friend, Vee.

SO, if you liked Twilight or Hush, Hush (or if you're like me and love funny dialogue and lovable characters), you'd enjoy Deadly Little Secret, by Laurie Faria Stolarz.

RATING:

Review: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (The Penderwicks #1), by Jeanne Birdsall

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (The Penderwicks #1)
By Jeanne Birdsall
Publication Date: March 15th, 2004 (Yearling)
Hardcover, 262 pages
Genre: Childrens; Realistic Fiction;
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they 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 best 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 . 

Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day.

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

The Penderwicks is one of the best children's books you'll ever read in your entire life! Finishing it was so sad and I was sure to make the last chapter as slow as I possibly could, but another side of me wanted to know what would happen in the end, and that impatient side won. The ending of The Penderwicks was heartwarming and very filling.

Not only children, but any dreamy, sentimental reader can easily relate and sympathize with the five main characters. There's Rosalind, twelve-years-old and has a crush on the seventeen-year-old landscaper at Arundel Manor; Skye, who's bold (and perhaps a bit foolhardy) personality hungers for adventure, getting her into loads of trouble; Jane, an aspiring author who must find the confidence within to believe in herself; and Batty, the youngest of the Penderwicks who is painfully shy. 

And of course there's also Jeffrey Tifton (not a Penderwick), who wants to study music but who's mother wants him to persue a different study (like so many of teenager's parents). I found Jeffrey the most relatable out of all of the characters because of the heartbreaking situation with his unsupportive mother.

The action in The Penderwicks is few and shouldn't be called "action" necessarily; rather, it should be called "events," which include running from a bull and a loose-animal chasing.

There was a certain kind of whimsically magical feeling about the summer setting that was so appealing to me, and surely will be to other sentimental readers. The Penderwicks proves that a book doesn't have to include wizards, witches, vampires, or werewolves to be magical or compelling.

In fact, The Penderwicks was a break from all of that sometimes-junk.

The chapters were medium-sized and the print was big. The writing was fresh nostalgic of older children's classics. Also, at times the writing was witty, while serious at other times. The writer knew exactly what the characters should say and it flowed.

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy was a heart-warming, adorable story about the bonds of friendship and the trials families go through.

RATING: