#Mr Penderwick

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

BEST DAD BATTLE: BAPELSIN BRACKET

ROUND 1 GROUP 2 PART 1

[bugmancatchers]

penderwicks sexuality head cannons

Rosalind- pan

Tommy- supportive straight boy

Skye- demiromantic bi ace (elaboration on a different post)

Jeffery- BI BI BI BI BI BI

jane- jane is a demisexual lesbian… fight me

Batty- aroace

Ben- is straight but everyone thinks he is gay (or maybe he doesn’t know it yet hmm) 

Lydia- I have no idea man

Mr penderwick- identifies as Queer once he learnt what the term meant after one of his daughters came out

Iantha- is also queer as hell (astrophysics??? Come on man)

[crying-in-converse]

if you are a fan of the penderwicks follow @bugmancatchers !!!

its an active blog that is trying to keep the penderwick fandom on Tumblr alive !!!!

[book--brackets]

[izzielizzie]

lydia being the only penderwick mrs tifton can stand will never not be funny to me

[worst-mother-throwdown]

BRACKET 1

Round 1

Propaganda under the cut, but feel free to add yours in the reblogs

Bell-mére propaganda

Mrs. Tifton propaganda

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Got any book recs? Not a specific genre or anything, just some of your favorites.

Most of these are YA and middle grade fiction. I probably suffer from nostalgia and recency bias in some cases.

⸻

In no particular order:

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by Eugene Yelchin and M.T. Anderson

The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla

Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Penderwicks series Jeanne Birdsall

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer

A Tale of Magic prequels by Chris Colfer

Dead Wednesday by Jerry Spinelli

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

The Line Tender by Kate Allen

The Siren by Kiera Cass

Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Valkyrie by Kate O'Hearn

Texting the Underworld by Ellen Booraem

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel by Megan Morrison

The Princess Tales series by Gail Carson Levine

The Thirteenth Goldfish duology by Jennifer L. Holm

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

The Don Tillman trilogy by Graeme Simsion

The World Ends in April by Stacy McAnulty

The Next-Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin

Counting by 7’s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

Any classic fairy tales

Anything written by Roald Dahl

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis

Quiet by Susan Cain

[solstices-dreams]

𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢’𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐠 𝐝𝐫.

𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭. 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐫. ᝰ.ᐟ

— 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐭 𝟏𝟎 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬.

These are other victors in district 10. The victor village is actually an expansive field as most of us still keep cattle or crops. I live between Noah and Brie. Angus is on the far side of Noah.

— 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐤.

56 years old, he/him, no occupation (victor.)

He’s like Haymitch in the beginning of the series, minus the alcohol and later character development. He didn’t mentor well and passed it onto Brie as soon as possible. He even cheered when Noah was picked for the quarter quell instead of him. His house is very rundown as he doesn’t care for it much like Haymitch.

He competed in a game before the 50th, as he’s older than haymitch obviously. He hid most of his games and excelled with a spear and close form melee with a knife. (As most district 10 tributes are due to their district being livestock and most are trained butchers.) He’s lokey a crabby war veteran who hates talking about his past.

what he reminds me of : gray, musty clothing, dark caves (you can tell i don’t like him ☺️)

— 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐧.

32 years old, she/her, no occupation (victor.)

She was my mentor for my games. She’s a redhead with bangs and freckles. She’s currently married to her wife and was going to work as a butcher for her family till her games.

She won her games with an axe as it was closest to a butcher knife and her survival skills which she trains into her tributes. She makes the most spectacular food i just knowwww. (she & mrs. barret are gonna kept me feddd)

what she reminds me of : tea dragon books, freckles, spices, cooking, soup, hestia, a warm hearth, motherly aura, ren faire

— 𝐧𝐨𝐚𝐡 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭.

25 years old, he/him, no occupation (victor.)

I am closest with Noah due to his family and he’s closest in age to me. We briefly were pressured to date but realized we are better off as friends. (Even thought he was my first kiss 🫢.) He’s super respectful and very “i’ll have her home by 8pm, sir,” and shows up with flowers on the first date.

He won his games with a sword. He still practices with it, even before the 75th was announced. Early mornings he’s outside hitting an old practice dummy, the familar glint of it evident from my house despite the distance. I accompany him occasionally, sometimes he forces me to try it out.

what he reminds me of : peter pevensie, sunshine, freckles, harmless pranks, lego flowers, quality time love language, girls girl

— 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲.

Noah Barret’s siblings and parents (not pictured.) We are neighbours in district 10 and we are all close friends. They have a golden retriever named “holstein” as a pet.

— 𝐦𝐫𝐬. 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭.

46 years old, she/her, wool spinner

Mrs. Barret is super kind and always keeps the back door unlocked on their house for me. She gives off classic motherly vibes, baking in the kitchen and she lets me be her kid too. She looks a lot like Vanessa and Posey. Her hair is more curly and blonde. She has smile lines she’s proud of along with her wrinkles.

what she reminds me of : southern mama, sourdough bread, floury hands, the penderwicks, fairytales passed down generation to generation

— 𝐦𝐫. 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭.

48 years old, he/him, banker

Mr. Barret is stricter due to his worried nature. He always tsks about the back door being unlocked and says their dog will get lost because of it. He’s always cleaning his smudged glasses. Like the rest of his family, he is blonde but with a scruffy beard and a prim mustache. He’s nostalgic and old fashioned, enjoying slow dancing and gifts to show love. He dotes on his children a lot and he really likes having my family around, especially my dad because they were schoolmates.

what he reminds me of : harvey (stardew valley), coffee with milk, hardcover books, lazy rocking chairs, well loved stuffed animals

— 𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭.

24 years old, she/her, wool spinner

Vanessa follows in her mother’s footsteps of being a woman of the house, cooking and spinning yarn after the shearing season. She has a strong sense of justice and wants the change in panem to happen. She was called a “bully” when she was younger because she told people what to do and was strong willed. She is a feminist and probably a little fruity.

what she reminds me of : vanilla, white blossoms, eldest daughters, alyss mainwaring (ranger’s apprentice), butter churning

— 𝐥𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭.

22 years old, he/him, livestock rancher

He was chosen for the 68th games alongside me and we formed a close bond, which tends to happen in the arena. He lost the games but we stayed friends especially because of Noah. He’s got a good poker face and it’s hard to tell when he’s joking because sometimes he’s so deadpan.

what he reminds me of : sunburns, teasing banter, sibling rivalries, disapproving younger brother vibes

— 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭.

16 years old, she/they, student

She gets along well with Mabel (my little sister). She is a “wild child” and free spirited. She’s chronically barefoot, always wandering through the fields and lakes in district 10. She can be really spacey sometimes but you can have super good conversations with her. She has really heartfelt compliments and her laughter is so beatiful sounding.

what she reminds me of : wild flowers, bunnies, luna lovegood, alice in wonderland, dandelions, oragami

— 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬.

These are other victors I will be already be friends with. They won’t be in the quarter quell but they are a part of the rebellion and will be in District 13. They are companions I met in my years mentoring.

— 𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥.

D-2, 30 years old, he/him, no occupation (victor.)

His personality is very similar to that of him in this reality and a bit of Sherlock in Enola Holmes. He won his games at 15 and held the title of youngest victor until Finnick. (I know their snarky comebacks and snippy fights are gonna be goood) He’s very straightforward thinking, taking both options and choosing which one he believes is better. Compared to the other victors, he’s very levelheaded and down to earth. He is a career but doesn’t side with the Capitol. He relied on his strength in his games and was skilled with a sword, spear, and other close range weapons. When we were both mentors we were drawn to eachother because we kept ending up at the survival stations more than the other mentors. He’s taught me the best way to make a fire.

what he reminds me of : henry cavill (duh.) coffee, parchment, tree bark, bear hugs, axe cutting, the snapping sound of logs in a fireplace

— 𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐰𝐬𝐨𝐧.

D-1, 28 years old, she/they/xe, no occupation (victor.)

She plays the Capitol, like Finnick, she has a different personality she puts on. When in the Capitol she gives off old money vibes, “I want it, I got it.” She’s determined, strong willed and extremely intelligent. In reality, she’s extremely sarcastic and refuses to let anyone walk over her. She’s known for her dagger skills, using it as a melee weapon or throwing it. She’s also skilled with a sword, spear, and sickles. As she is from district 1, she was technically a career, but like James she doesn’t side with the Capitol and falls into a friendship with James & Finnick.

what she reminds me of : nymphs, dark academia, old money, golden jewelry, body glitter, ethereal women, athena

[runawaymarbles]

Top 5… fonts, lesser-known childhood books, weird rabbit habits

Fonts:

Bilingual Serif & Alternates (used here without the alternates)

Quaker Ladies (used here)

Indira K (used here, and on the Renegade Bindery logo)

Sukhumala (used here)

Raven Inline (used here)

Books:

1. Walter the Baker - really made me appreciate a good pretzel

2. Ozma of Oz- best Oz book, hands down

3. Mrs. Coverlett's Magicians - it's batshit, best christmas story ever

4. The Penderwicks - it's cute idk

5. Everything on a Waffle - almost made me get interested in cooking

Rabbit habits:

1. Eating all the bark off apple branches. They go nuts for apple branches.

2. Pivoting midair (bunny ballet)

3. Eating hay from outside the hutch or from the top of the hay hopper instead of the bottom where it's easiest to access

4. We used to have a bunny who liked to hop into a box and then push it around the kitchen from the inside. He learned to steer it when he bumped into things, it was amazing

5. Sitting in front of the TV so they can be sure everyone is looking at them

[storybook-souls]

"Book Worm" asks: 43 & 44?

thanks patch :D

43. Title of a book you own that's in the worst physical condition you have. Explain what happened to it. Post a picture if you want.

aslkdf i think it's this one, Freddy Plays Football by Walter R. Brooks. the Freddy books are a series about talking animals from like the 1920s-1950s that i was obsessed with as a kid mostly bc my library happened to have a ton of them. i don't own very many but one is this paperback that must have gotten SOAKED at some point--I don't remember how, but the entire thing is waterlogged. but it's dry now! and readable! and these books are a little hard to find and i'm sentimental about it so i'm not getting rid of it

44. The book(s) whose stories have become part of your very makeup.

man there's so many. the aforementioned Freddy series. Warrior Cats. The Boxcar Children, especially the first three books. Lord of the Rings and Narnia are both deeply in there. when i re-read Percy Jackson recently i was startled by how many times i was like "oh so THAT'S where i first encountered this trope." The Hunger Games series. The Mysterious Benedict Society. Ella Enchanted. A Little Princess. the Rowan Hood series. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. The Penderwicks. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler. The Westing Game. a lot of Eva Ibbotson's books, but especially The Island of the Aunts and The Star of Kazan. a lot of Andrew Clements' books, but especially No Talking and The School Story. i could keep going and i'm also sure there's some important ones i'm forgetting bc they're not on my shelves.

send me book asks to answer!!

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

BEST DAD BATTLE: DAD MANSION BREAK IN/SECOND CHANCE

ROUND 2 SHAVEDOWN

[bugmancatchers]

Skye Penderwick is bi, here’s why

I have seen a lot of people on here saying that Skye was very obviously a lesbian. But in my opinion, Skye was most definitely queer. And on top of that, most definitely sapphic. But instead of just headcannoning every tom-boy character as a lesbian. I feel it is more fair to look at all the possible sexualities first.

I mean, if we’re talking about stereotypes I feel Skye fits in the bi category pretty well. In the books she is most often described wearing jeans, who says they aren’t cuffed? And math? astronomy? Screams bi to me.

But really, I do ship Skye and Jeffrey, and it’s because I felt their relationship had such a good build up. And most people would say that the romantic interest was one sided. In my opinion it was obviously not, there was clear evidence in the book that Skye cared about Jeffrey in a way that was way more deep than any of her other siblings, and all the other characters knew it (ahem, Jane letting Skye visit Jeffery first? Skye opening up to only Jeffery about her feelings/responsibilities? And many more instances)!

But, I do feel Skye would have a preference in girls, therefore this could add to the reason she was angry at herself and also continued to reject Jeffrey’s advances.

In my opinion Skye is probably also Demi-romantic. And a lot of times it’s really hard for demi people to admit they are in love, because a lot of the time they already have a great connection with this person, that they don’t want to ruin. The first time Skye rejects Jeffrey to his face (In Spring, hallway argument) she says she can’t be with him because she is scared of messing up, and ultimately hurting him.

I related to Skye so much as a kid, and still do. Yes, I legitimately cried while reading the last book, just thinking over and over again, this isn’t her! Skye wouldn’t do that! And I swear I am not projecting my sexuality on to her, but as a Demi-romantic bi I feel even more of my experiences and feelings being unintentionally, but very obviously represented in the book.

And, let me just say, Jeffrey is 100% bi as well. And who doesn’t love a bisexual power couple???

[flickeringflame216]

For the book ask: whimsical and/or purple!

Well, this is long-overdue...but thank you for the ask!

Whimsical and Purple: The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

Spoilers for anyone who hasn't read it!

Whimsical makes me think of books I read in later elementary and early middle school (which to be clear has only positive connotations, those were some of my BEST reading years). Books like Mr. Popper's Penguins, The Phantom Tolbooth, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Charlotte's Web, The Penderwicks, The Saturdays, and so many others. The Castle in the Attic certainly fits the vibe! A toy castle that comes to life (reminding me of the Indian in the Cupboard)! A kind nanny! A brave knight, and an evil magician, and a typical hero's journey narrative--this is the stuff of whimsy.

But look deeper, beyond the "children's book" label. The Castle in the Attic is primarily a story about courage. William, our ten-year-old hero, is a boy steeped from the beginning in love of faerie. He is curious and talented but a bit of a misfit, and desperately afraid of letting go. We see him grow to care more for others outside himself, we see him break through self-doubt and internalize Mrs. Philips words about him at the end: "You were always strong enough. You just didn't believe it." He has to fix the mistakes he makes, he has to ask forgiveness and make things right. And he has to save the kingdom. And we feel the burden with him, and we are rooting for him the whole way. We feel the promise as he leaves the magic world and the friends he has made there, "I will not forget you." We see him, most of all, face fear and uncertainty head-on and WIN. And that is why I love this book, and that is what all my favorite stories have in common, because that message is so deeply resonant and personal to my life. Yes, this is a story written for 5th graders. So what? In flipping through it to answer this ask, I see why memory so fondly holds this book in its hands. William is us--curious, talented, a bit of a misfit, and deeply afraid.

Purple--magic, fantasy, enchantment, imagination. Memory. And growth, leadership, responsibility. Courage. William's story shimmers with them all, and with them shines the truth "a truly courageous person is the one who must first conquer fear within himself."

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Damar by Robin McKinley

This is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the Lady Aerin.

And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since the Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle.

And this is the song of the kelar of the Hillfolk, the magic of the blood, the weaver of destinies...

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

In this much-loved children's classic first published in 1906, the comfortable lives of three well-mannered siblings are greatly altered when, one evening, two men arrive at the house and take their father away. With the family's fortunes considerably reduced in his absence, the children and their mother are forced to live in a simple country cottage near a railway station. There the young trio—Roberta, Peter, and young Phyllis—befriend the porter and station master.

The youngsters' days are filled with adventure and excitement, including their successful attempt to avert a horrible train disaster; but the mysterious disappearance of their father continues to haunt them.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Alone and lost—on the North Slope of Alaska

Miyax rebels against a home situation she finds intolerable. She runs away toward San Francisco, toward her pen pal, who calls her Julie. But soon Miyax is lost in the Alaskan wilderness, without food, without even a compass. Slowly she is accepted by a pack of Arctic wolves, and she comes to love them as though they were her brothers. With their help, and drawing on her father’s training, she struggles day by day to survive. In the process, she is forced to rethink her past, and to define for herself the traditional riches of Eskimo life: intelligence, fearlessness, and love.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

The Penderwick sisters busily discover the summertime magic of Arundel estate’s sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. Best of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, the perfect companion for their adventures. Icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is less pleased with the Penderwicks than Jeffrey, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Is that any fun? For sure the summer will be unforgettable.

The Harper Hall of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

For centuries, the world of Pern has faced a destructive force known as Thread. But the number of magnificent dragons who have protected this world and the men and women who ride them are dwindling.

As fewer dragons ride the winds and destruction falls from the sky, Menolly has only one to sing, play, and weave the music that comes to her so easily—she wishes to become a Harper. But despite her great talents, her father believes that a young girl is unworthy of such a respected position and forbids her to pursue her dreams. So Menolly runs away, taking shelter in a cave by the sea. Miraculously, she happens upon nine fire lizards that could possibly save her world...and change her life forever.

Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch

Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch.

As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.

Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Caddie Woodlawn is a real adventurer. She'd rather hunt than sew and plow than bake, and tries to beat her brother's dares every chance she gets. Caddie is friends with Indians, who scare most of the neighbors -- neighbors who, like her mother and sisters, don't understand her at all.

Caddie is brave, and her story is special because it's based on the life and memories of Carol Ryrie Brink's grandmother, the real Caddie Woodlawn.

Pendragon by D. J. MacHale

BOBBY PENDRAGON is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby.

He is going to save the world.

And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution.

If Bobby wants to see his family again, he's going to have to accept his role as savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is only the beginning....

Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian

The gruff and surly Mr Thomas Oakley is less than pleased when he is landed with a scrawny little city boy as a guest, but because it is compulsory that each villager takes in an evacuee he reluctantly agrees. It soon becomes obvious to Mister Tom that young Willie Beech is hiding something, and as the pair begin to form an unlikely bond and Willie grows in stature and in confidence he begins to forget the past. But when he has to return to war-torn London to face his mother again he retreats into his shy and awkward ways once more.

[tablevivant]

Mr. Penderwick would NOT be dating Marianne Dashwood what? sir you are in love with Ms. Dashwood not Ms. Dashwood

[a-hundred-jewels]

as I suggested a few days ago on one of your Penderwicks posts, writing about the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde play would just be *chef's kiss*

100% on my to-write list omg