In The Penderwicks, Rosalind, Jane, Skye, Batty, and their intrepid canine, Hound, arrive at a summer cottage only to promptly embark on a bull-baiting, garden-raiding, boy-rescuing adventure. The contrasting personalities of the sisters are perfectly suited to a sibling audience; Rosalind is a romantic, Jane is an aspiring authoress, Skye is an athlete, and Batty is, well, a bit batty. Jeanne Birdsall’s characters are at once believable, memorable, and endearing, and the exhilarating tale of their summer is as thrilling to read as a mystery novel. The book’s subtitle says it all: “A summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy . . . ”

The audiobook recording is particularly good; perfect for listening to over a series of long summer afternoons.

Recommended for readers twelve and up.