Penderwicks: a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Along with their loving but preoccupied botanist father and a clumsy dog, the motherless Penderwick sisters responsible Rosalind, twelve; feisty Skye, eleven; creative Jane, ten; and shy Batty, four. Along with their loving but preoccupied botanist father and a clumsy dog named Hound, they spend their summer holiday in the Massachusetts Berkshires in a rose-covered cottage on the grounds of a mansion called Arundel Hall. A fast friendship develops between the girls and Jeffrey, the only child of Arundel's icy owner, Mrs. Tifton. This story offers much to the reader. Humor and friendship, this charming, old-fashioned story feels familiar in the way the best books seem like old friends.

This is so much like some of my favorite childhood books such as Tacy & Tib. Like a breathe of fresh air! Plus this won the National Book Awards for Young People's Literature Excellent!