MARCH 2015 - AudioFile
Narrator Susan Denaker does a splendid job with this fourth in the Penderwick series. Although part of a large blended family, each of the Penderwick kids is distinct, along with their many friends and neighbors. At center stage is Batty, who sounds determined and earnest as she begins a dog-walking business (with hilarious consequences) to help raise money for the family. Adorable little brother Ben and spoiled baby Lydia add to the confusion and fun. Denaker is impressive with the foreign languages that the family members occasionally use. She's also very moving as Batty copes with the double loss of her mother—who died at her birth—and her beloved dog, Hound. Listeners will enjoy the feeling of nostalgia that permeates this contemporary novel. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 01/12/2015
With the addition of baby sister Lydia, the Penderwicks’ blended family returns with all the big-family drama and joys that fans have come to expect. In this fourth installment, musically inclined fifth-grader Batty is delighted to learn that her school’s dull music teacher has been replaced by the more appealing Mrs. Grunfeld; better still, the new teacher thinks Batty has a “rare and beautiful” voice. Inspired, Batty earns money for singing lessons by walking two unusual neighborhood dogs, a job that makes her yearn for her own, recently deceased dog. After overhearing a family secret, she starts to believe that she was responsible for the death of her mother, who passed away when Batty was a baby. It takes a lot of detective work from her older sisters, parents, and neighbors to figure out why Batty is so blue, but in true Penderwick fashion, misunderstandings are soon righted. The warmth and compassion of the Penderwick family comes through in every page of this slice-of-life novel, healing emotional bruises and reassuring readers that most problems can be overcome. Ages 8–12. Agent: Barbara S. Kouts. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
The warmth and compassion of the Penderwick family comes through in every page of this slice-of-life novel, healing emotional bruises and reassuring readers that most problems can be overcome.”
—Publishers Weekly starred review
“…chock full of all the qualities fans love (humor, heart, and the honest exploration of emotions…[t]he Penderwicks have a strong bench, so, happily, expect more.”
—Booklist starred review
MARCH 2015 - AudioFile
Narrator Susan Denaker does a splendid job with this fourth in the Penderwick series. Although part of a large blended family, each of the Penderwick kids is distinct, along with their many friends and neighbors. At center stage is Batty, who sounds determined and earnest as she begins a dog-walking business (with hilarious consequences) to help raise money for the family. Adorable little brother Ben and spoiled baby Lydia add to the confusion and fun. Denaker is impressive with the foreign languages that the family members occasionally use. She's also very moving as Batty copes with the double loss of her mother—who died at her birth—and her beloved dog, Hound. Listeners will enjoy the feeling of nostalgia that permeates this contemporary novel. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
