I was at an event recently where I expressed my pleasure with this book. My companion nodded politely and listened, but then asked if I didn't find the story just a bit . . . well . . . . much. I could see where she was coming from. We're dealing with a book that contains something called the "Save-Daddy Plan". On top of that the answer to the girls' woes is so seemingly obvious (to say nothing of the last-minute villain who would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for those meddling kids and their pesky dog) that even the youngest reader is bound to guess where the storyline is going. I'll grant that, but the degree to which a children's book is predictable doesn't necessarily bother me. When you judge a book written with a child audience in mind, familiar tropes are standard fare. What's important is how well the author plays with them. J.K. Rowling, after all, was not the first author to write about a kid going off to a school for magic. She just happened to write it best. Likewise, Birdsall isn't the first writer I've seen to come up with a storyline that involves matchmaking and the like, but she writes so bloody well that I doubt any child, no matter how jaded, is going to mind if they suspect where the plot is headed. So does this mean that Batty is Amy? I’m more inclined to link Batty to Beth—both are sweet, quiet pianists who love animals. Batty has little common with Amy, save being the youngest of four sisters and eventually winding up with the Jeffrey/Laurie character. (Also notice the fact that Batty and Beth share an initial.) Jeffery’s situation of living in a grand house that feels unwelcoming to him is certainly like Laurie’s situation. And, also similarly, all four sisters feel comfortable around Jeffery/Laurie, not just the ones who are better friends with that character (Skye/Jo, Batty/Amy). Bird, Elizabeth (July 7, 2012). "Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results". A Fuse #8 Production. Blog. School Library Journal (blog.schoollibraryjournal.com).

One caution is that I do think the girls are given a bit too much "free reign" in terms of roaming around by themselves, trying to investigate a suspicious character in the neighborhood, etc. Yes, the old-fashioned charm of the tale is one of its strengths, but in this case I feel it is also a weakness--young girls shouldn't be encouraged to dart into the night to investigate a disturbance next door--that's what grown-ups, or certainly the police, are for!!! This particular read-aloud was inspired by our “Year of the Rabbit” project, a small reading project that the change of the Chinese Zodiac sign provoked. We committed to 12 new “rabbit related reads” and we're halfway there already. I'm not sure why, but I don't seem to be as won over by this series as my youngest daughter and so many others on Goodreads. I liked this one, book #2, better than the first offering. I found it a lot more original and I think the characters were far more developed. It reminds me a lot of Little Women (and I mean that in the best way. The characters are so sweet - and sassy - with each of their personalities rounding out their sisterhood. i love these four sisters, and their friend Jeffrey, and their dad and their dog Hound. i love this setting and this summer. i could read this book again and again (and in about an hour. it is very short. so on top of everything, my reading challenge loves it too).Mrs. Tifton is growing increasingly anxious as the Garden Club competition approaches, and she is determined that this will be the year she wins. Rosalind warns her sisters to avoid Arundel and its gardens on the day of the competition, but this sets the stage for disaster. Skye, Jane, and Jeffrey are deeply committed in a soccer game and are giving it their all until the ball ends up in the yard. The children follow in hot pursuit, oblivious to their surroundings until they realize they are not alone. Mrs. Tifton is barely controlled as the girls return to the cottage, but the Garden Club judge is amused and understanding.

Rosemary, this bit's for you. This book pays homage to books of the past. In one scene, Jane calls to characters from books by C.S. Lewis and Edward Eager, and there's a surprise appearance by a character from Sense and Sensibility. The fictional setting is more modern than Alcott's or Nesbit's, although not clearly contemporary with Birdsall's writing. The style is similar to Alcott's books, like Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys, Under the Lilacs and Rose in Bloom. There are different leading characters throughout the series, like in the Sarah, Plain and Tall or Narnia series. Birdsall often refers to elements from classic literature, such as Emily of New Moon by Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was refreshing to read a book that I could share with my most innocent students or my nine-year old daughter. This was a lot of fun, very reminiscent of quirky, family adventure books I read as a child. I would heartily recommend to this age group or anyone who is a child at heart who loves fun.Batty is saving up her dog-walking money for an extra-special surprise for her family, which she plans on presenting on her next birthday. However when some unwelcome surprises make themselves known, these best laid plans are ruined. The girls have many adventures, some planned, many accidental. The plot is fairly predictable-- in a book this sweet we know it will all turn out OK in the end. But it is Birdsall's characters that make this book something special. My youngest child has had a very difficult month. I won't be getting into the details here, but suffice it to say that no 12-year-old should ever face the trials that she has. If I can point my finger to something positive that has happened, since her last ordeal, I would say that she has a greater appreciation for her family and, interestingly, a deeper appreciation for stories. basically: I LOVE SISTERS AND SUMMER AND DOGS AND FRIENDSHIP. and this book is about all of those things!!!! dreamy.

That said, I'm an adult now, not 12, so there were things that I just couldn't blow past. For instance, many of the kids felt oddly aged. Rosalind felt much older than 12, especially crushing on the much older Cagney. Now yes, when I was 12, I was more than capable of crushes, but coupled with the way she acted like the Mom (even more than the Dad acted like a dad), it just felt weird. Speaking of Dad, he was barely present in the book, unless to give encouragement or to be called upon when the girls acted like, well, brats. (Because, yes, some of what they did was truly bratty and wouldn't have happened if there was even a modicum of parental attention.) He was in this so little, I almost wondered why bother writing his character at all (which was, of course, goofy, eccentric dad - yawn!).

Lastly, the oldest sibling is 12 years old and throughout the story she begins to have "feelings" for a teenage boy. It explores her emotions of maybe falling in love with him. Then, there is a chapter where Mrs. Tifton even goes as far as saying that if the eldest daughter doesn't be careful, someday she will "loose her innocence" to some boy.

As soon as Professor Bhaer is introduced, it’s immediately clear that Jo will end up marrying him. What if there had been a third possible love interest thrown into the mix? Perhaps one of her editors? That might have been fascinating. This whole story was just charming, darling, sweet, and refreshing. The book completely captures the essence of childhood, and is a touching and sensitive portrayal of childhood. Some readers teared up more than once as they saw the characters in such an honest and raw way, and feel relatable and real. Although she first decided to become a writer when she was ten years old, it took Jeanne until she was forty-one to get started. In the years in between, Jeanne had many strange jobs to support herself, and also worked hard as a photographer, the kind that makes art. Some of Jeanne's photographs are included in the permanent collections of museums, including the Smithsonian and the Philadelphia Art Museum. Her work can be seen in several galleries, including the R. Michelson Galleries in western Massachusetts. this is a story about sisters that my sisters and i used to read growing up, and it is just as delightful (this book makes me use words like delightful!!) at 21 as it was at nine, and ten, and eleven, and twelve. (i read this book a lot. like, a lot a lot.)I do love the characters too. I was particularly fond of Skye since she reminded me of my best friend growing up. I knew a Skye type once. In terms of character development Birdsall respects and provides the proper amount of small, almost invisible moments that make a person who they are. The telling snippets that expose our humanity beneath the exterior. Here's an example: There is a moment when Rosalind has been so wrapped up the notion of her father dating again that she has wandered off and failed to tell Batty her usual bedtime story. Batty is fond of repetition and desperately needs her story. When Rosalind finally comes home her over-tired little sister's interior monologue works itself up and up until she's in tears (I found the line about being worried that Skye would think her a coward particularly touching) and Rosalind finally takes her to bed and gives her the story. The moment could be done in such a way that Batty comes off as looking bratty, and really the fact that the child doesn't high herself henceward is a testament of writing right there. But for me, the really telling point is right at the end of the chapter where it says of Rosalind, " `Sleep well, Battikins,' she whispered, then watched over her for a long time, just in case she woke up again, still wanting a story." In a way, the book is also about the selfishness of childhood. Every kid just cares about what they care about. It takes an extraordinary amount of energy sometimes for a person, be they old or young, to crawl out of their own little shell of self-pity to see and aid a fellow human being, no matter how close to them they may be. Four sisters--Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty--are vacationing in the country with their father. They've taken over a cottage on a large estate, and they meet Jeffrey, the owner's son. They do have some adventures, but they're the normal kind you probably had when you were a kid, the kind that happen without magical intervention or time travel or monsters. Judges Citation. "2005 National Book Awards Winner, Young People's Literature". NBF. Retrieved 2008-01-29.