One wish turns Penelopes perfect-but-uneventful life upside down in Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder.
Title: Penny Dreadful
Authors: Laurel Snyder
Ages: 8+
Rating:
Penelope is bored. Bored with her big, beautiful house in the city. Bored with her humdrum playmates. Bored with her simple life where nothing out of the ordinary ever happens. So she makes a wish that something exciting will happen in her life. But you know the saying...be careful what you wish for.
Courtesy of Random House
Be Careful What You Wish For
Penelope’s wish comes true, but not in the way she expects. Her father quits his job, which was their family’s only source of income. His split decision sends their lives into a downward spiral. First they can’t afford to pay their driver, then their cook, and then their housekeeper! The house falls into shambles and Penelope’s mother constantly frets over their finances.
Thrush Junction
So Penelope makes another wish, one to fix the problems caused by her first wish. They receive a letter notifying them that they have inherited a house from Penelope’s late aunt Betty in a town called Thrush Junction. So their family moves, expecting to find a grand estate like their own. But what they find is a collection of small connected units that are occupied by many tenants. And their small living quarters are on the top floor.
Buried in Debt
To make matters worse, Penelope’s mother learns that not only did she inherit the property and the tenants (who don’t even pay rent!), but she also inherited her aunt’s debt! So much debt that they can’t afford to pay it back. If things don’t take a turn for the better soon, Penelope will lose her home and all her new friends.
The Bottom Line
Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder shows the reality of life’s unexpected downfalls. But with good friends and neighbours, rough times don’t have to be so rough. This book shows that what so many people desire—to be rich and live in a mansion—isn’t necessarily what makes people happy. It is the people around you, not your possessions, that make life worth living.
