Title: The Saturdays
Author: Elizabeth Enright
Series: Melendy Quartet, book 1
Major Themes: Family, Adventures
Synopsis: When the Melendy children decide they want more chances at bigger outings, they form a family club, pooling their allowances to give each person a chance at a special day out tailored just to their liking.
While visiting my aunt recently, she offered that I could take whatever books I wanted from her shelf—her children weren’t interested in reading them. When I saw The Saturdays, I knew I wanted to get it; Enright was one of my favorite authors as an early reader. I’m so glad I got it and took the time to read it soon after; this became a new beloved middle-grade book! While I doubt this will ever quite make it up to the same level as the Gone-Away Lake series (simply because that was my first love of Enright’s works), I loved reading this book, and am looking forward to sharing it with my siblings sometime in the future.
Publisher’s description:
Meet the Melendys! The four Melendy children live with their father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, in a worn but comfortable brownstone in New York City. There’s thirteen-year-old Mona, who has decided to become an actress; twelve-year-old mischievous Rush; ten-and-a-half-year-old Randy, who loves to dance and paint; and thoughtful Oliver, who is just six.
Tired of wasting Saturdays doing nothing but wishing for larger allowances, the four Melendys jump at Randy’s idea to start the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). If they pool their resources and take turns spending the whole amount, they can each have at least one memorable Saturday afternoon of their own. Before long, I.S.A.A.C. is in operation and every Saturday is definitely one to remember.
Written more than half a century ago, The Saturdays unfolds with all the ripe details of a specific place and period but remains, just the same, a winning, timeless tale. The Saturdays is the first installment of Enright’s Melendy Quartet, an engaging and warm series about the close-knit Melendy family and their surprising adventures.
My thoughts:
Although this book is a middle-grade novel, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the breadth and depth of the story. This book was first published in 1941, and you can feel that in these pages. The four children are between the ages of 6–13, and everyone except the 6-year-old is allowed to go out into New York City on their own. These days, there’s no way a parent would ever allow that—but back then, it was (presumably) safe. I was also impressed by the language in this book; it might not be as complicated as some other books I could think of that were written about the same time, but it has all the refinement and depth of expression I’ve come to love in older novels that you (generally) don’t find in today’s works.
If I had to classify this book, I’d say it’s an at-home adventure story. These children are given a lot of freedom to choose what and how they are going to spend their time, and all artistic and creative pursuits are encouraged. Although this book focuses on their Saturday excursions—and adventures therein—I loved how each one showcased the individual characters, both in a positive light and sometimes not so positively. By the end of the book, these children felt real to me—I loved that!
If you’re looking for a children’s book that isn’t just meaningless drivel, I’d recommend you check out The Saturdays. The children aren’t always obedient, but they learn from their mistakes and do their best to respect the wishes of their elders. And as I mentioned, they have the most delightful, fairly realistic adventures! One thing I particularly loved was the way the children were able to have conversations with people from all walks of life—and along the way, learned new perspectives on the world. This was a delightful read for me, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series shortly!
WARNING: Chapter 1: My heavens, for heaven’s sake, gee, gee whiz. Chapter 2: Swear on your sacred word of honor, gee whiz, darn it, heaven forbid, girl disobeys her father, girl goes to a fortune teller, girl kidnapped, good Lord! Chapter 3: Gee (four times), you’d swear, for Pete’s sake, gee whiz. Chapter 4: Thank Heaven, goodness, darn (twice), gee (twice), goodness knows (twice), thank goodness, girl does something she’s pretty sure her father wouldn’t like, Good night! Why, Jiminy Crickets! Why, gee whiz!, jeepers, good Lord, what in heaven’s name. Chapter 6: I swear, gee whiz, giving us both the dickens, doggone it, doggone me for a dang old fool, people almost die, dang old fool, what in the name of heaven, gee whiz. Chapter 7: What in heaven’s name, oh my lands, gee, my gosh, thank goodness, a house fire. Chapter 8: Gee whiz, gee.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
