Book Club Guide for The Penderwicks

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

For Ages 8-12
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Four spirited sisters, ages four through twelve, spend summer vacation with their father at a cottage on the beautiful Arundel estate, where misadventures of nostalgic proportions ensue. Use these discussion questions, snacks, and activities to enhance engagement and fun in your next book club meeting. The Penderwicks is an excellent choice for tween and homeschool book clubs, offering the perfect blend of adventure, humor, and heart.

The Penderwicks Book Club Discussion Questions

Use these discussion questions to get participants engaging with you and one another. Still need more questions? See The Youth Desk’s Book Clubs page for general fiction and nonfiction questions.

What was your favorite misadventure the Penderwicks had? (Stuck in a tree without a ladder, in a field with a bull, burned cookies, etc.) Have you had a misadventure like the Penderwicks?
How are the four sisters similar and different from one another?
Do you think Rosalind likes being the oldest and most responsible Penderwick? Are you the oldest OR the most responsible child in your family?
Would you want a bedroom with a “secret passage” to your brother or sister’s room?
Batty seems to get into bad situations when left alone. Should her sisters be keeping a better eye on her? Why or why not?
Why do you think Batty gave her wings to Jeffrey?
How do you think the story would be different if Mrs. Penderwick were still with the family?
Mrs. Tifton accused Mr. Penderwick of not exercising “enough control over” his girls (p. 151). What do you think?
Would you like to live in a huge house like Arundel? What do you suppose life is like for Jeffrey inside such a fancy house?
Why is Jeffrey happier after the Penderwicks arrive? What do you think his life will be like after they go home?
Is Mrs. Tifton right to get upset with the Penderwicks? Why or why not?
What did you think about the cover of the book? Did it make you want to read it?
What is your idea of the perfect vacation?
Will you read the sequels?
If you could ask the author anything about the book or her characters, what would it be?

The Penderwicks Book Club Snacks

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Penderwicks attempt to make chocolate chip cookies for Jeffrey as an apology, but when Skye is left in charge of baking them, she turns the oven to broil and burns them! p. 48

Carrots

Batty loves to visit Cagney’s rabbits, Yaz and Carla, and bring them carrots.

Other snack ideas from the book include:

Tomatoes: Harry gives the girls and Churchie tomatoes from his Harry’s Tomatoes business throughout the book
Brownies: Rosalind makes brownies for Cagney
Gingerbread with whipped cream and strawberries: Churchie makes this treat on p. 84

The Penderwicks Pictionary Game

Play Pictionary using words from the book! Divide the group into two teams and have a representative from each team select a slip of paper with a word written on it from a bucket or bag. Set a timer and give each representative one minute to draw a picture of their word while their teammates guess it.

If you don’t have a whiteboard in your space, a large notepad on an easel is a suitable alternative. Words to use on the slips of paper include: