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The Penderwicks

An Oldie, but a Goodie Book Review |Let\’s Revisit The Penderwicks

If you\’ve been following along these last few months, we\’ve been having a ton of fun revisiting older books reviews. Why? Because even though these titles may have published a few years ago, they are still amazing books that will enchant and delight your young readers.

Welcome back to the An Oldie, but a Goodie Book Review Project! Here\’s what you may have missed:

Oldies, but Goodies | Great Kidlit for Summer Reading!

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Oldies, but Goodies | Great Kidlit for Summer Reading PART TWO

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Oldies, but Goodies | Great Summer Reading for Advanced Readers

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Oldies, but Goodies | Great Summer Reading for Littles

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Oldies, but Goodies Book Review | Awesome Books for Crafty Kids

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This week, let\’s revisit The Penderwicks:

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The Pederwicks series is a series filled with adventure, mystery, suspense, friendships, and villains–all of these ingredients mixed together make the best summer ever for the Penderwick sisters Rosalind, Jane, Skye, and Batty.

Rosalind, the oldest, assumes the responsibility of taking care of her younger sisters. Jane just wants to have fun and enjoy the outdoors. Skye wants to finish her novel. And Batty…wants to be a butterfly. When they arrive at Arundel Hall for the summer with their Botanist father and their dog, Hound, the girls had no clue what was awaiting them behind the high walls of the Arundel house. During their stay at Arundel, they make lasting friendships that make the summer worthwhile. When Mrs. Tifton’s son Jeffrey gets pulled into the Penderwick family, problems run rampant.

To Mrs. Tifton, the Penderwick’s just aren’t the right kind of people. When they learn that Jeffrey’s mother is planning to ship him off to military school, the summer takes a turn for the worse. Now they have to save Jeffrey from this most undesirable fate and still manage to enjoy their summer.

Can the Penderwick’s save Jeffrey? Will Batty ever have the courage to stand up to Mrs. Tifton? And will Skye finish her novel?

Join the Penderwick sisters, learn the family oath, and save Jeffrey during this wonderful, adventurous summer! Opinion: I absolutely adore this story. Everything that the girls do, I wanted to do as a child. I love how Ms. Birdsall made each of the girls so realistic for their age. They are all very relatable for all age groups. But mostly this story is just lovely–mystery, adventure, and fun all wrapped into one. Mr. Dupree is the best villain and Churchie the best cook.

I don’t see how you can’t fall in love with the Penderwicks and their new friends.


Educate Your Child’s Mind, Body and Spirit with the new Waldorf-Inspired Homeschool Handbook.

This was the first line of the press release I created for the Waldorf Homeschool Handbook that Audrey Press published almost three years to.the.day ago.

The Waldorf Homeschooling Handbook\

This wonderful book by a long-time friend and first-time author, Donna Ashton, hit the book reseller\’s shelves just in time for New Year planning in 2013.

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Author Donna Ashton

Donna, who was the founder of The Waldorf Connection, came to me with a seed of an idea months before and soon that \”seed\” bloomed into an educational guidebook that specifically catered to the homeschooling family. The Waldorf Home School Handbook was created by Donna to be a simple step-by-step guide to creating an understanding of a Waldorf-inspired homeschool plan.

The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook\

The final product was a comprehensive 122-page manual that did just that; guide parents through the Waldorf method and reveals how to educate their children in a nurturing and creative environment. Homeschooling can be complicated and frustrating, especially if parents are overloaded with information. Determined to prevent parents from having to struggle alone.  To this day I am so proud that Donna created The Waldorf Home School Handbook is an all-in-one homeschooling guide filled with examples of lesson plans and curriculum, along with helpful hints and the secrets behind the three Areas for Optimum Learning.

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Donna didn\’t come up with this info by accident either. She is a veteran Waldorf homeschooling mom and mentor who has helped over thousands of families worldwide homeschool with confidence and clarity. Her experiences with raising her 15 year-olds in a mindful way was her main inspiration in creating a guide of tactics designed to help struggling homeschoolers and parents trying to balance their daily rhythm and get clarity in homeschooling.

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What an honor and delight its been to watch this book sell like hotcakes! Donna\’s brilliant mind is at work again and her latest book will be available sometime in mid-2018.