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@sesi Perfection vs imperfection is hard to balance in books for kids, yeah. I haven’t read the Penderwicks books, but even in the Look Inside for the first book I get a bit of what you’re saying. Rosalind does seem weirdly glorified as a responsible leader even to her parents in just those opening lines.

In general, it sounds to me like you outgrew them. Amazon recommends them for 8-12 year olds. If you’re at the point of dissecting them, maybe they just weren’t intended to live up to the scrutiny of people who would dissect them as readers (rather than as teachers or whatever).

I guess my question is did they serve you well when you were younger? Can you look back at them and say “Yeah, these are good books for their intended audience,” or do you feel they’re too simple or sappy or whatever even for fifth-graders?