First published 2015
Batty Penderwick counts every penny from her new dog-walking venture. She has big plans for her upcoming birthday. She wants to surprise her family with something extra-special using all the money she's earned. Spring has finally come to Gardam Street, bringing changes for everyone in the Penderwick household. Their neighbor Nick Geiger returns home from war, which delights the whole family. But other developments prove less welcome. When these unexpected events threaten to derail Batty's carefully planned birthday surprise, she must figure out how to salvage her dreams. The story explores what happens when family secrets emerge and hidden truths come into the open. Through all the chaos and comedy, the Penderwick sisters discover that some of life's best moments come from the surprises you never saw coming.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, heartwarming, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, unexpected-events
Setting: Gardam Street
Period: Spring
339 pages · Hardcover · Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers