The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

This was such a relaxing book to read! The style of the book is chatty and felt very familiar, but I can't figure out exactly what it reminded me of. The Penderwicks are a family of 4 girls, a father and a large unruly dog named "Hound." The girls are wildly different from each other and each is quite a character, especially the youngest, Batty, who insists on wearing a pair of wings at all times except when she is sleeping. The Penderwicks have rented a cottage in the Berkshires for vacation since their usual Cape Cod house was sold unexpectedly. They arrive only to find that their cottage is on the grounds of a huge mansion called Arundel; as they come up the long winding drive they see a boy looking out of an upstairs window. Jeffrey lives at Arundel with his mother, a horrible mean woman. There are plenty of adventures involving Jeffrey, Cagney (an older boy who is the gardener), and Cagney's rabbits. Review by Stacy Church