While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.

The four Penderwick sisters are faced with the unimaginable prospect of their widowed father dating, and they hatch a plot to stop him.

As spring arrives on Gardam Street, there are surprises in store for each Penderwick. The brood has grown to six with the addition of Lydia. Some surprises are wonderful, like neighbor Nick Geiger's expected return from the war - others are ridiculous, like Batty's new dog-walking business. Batty is saving up her dog-walking money for an extra-special surprise for her family, which she plans to present on her upcoming birthday. The timing is perfect...