The Saturdays (novel)

The Saturdays

Cover of First Edition
Author Elizabeth Enright
Illustrator Elizabeth Enright
Country United States & Canada
Language English
Genre Children's literature
Publisher Farrar & Rinehart
Publication date
 1941
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 175 pp
ISBN 9780805070606
OCLC 172840
LC Class PZ7.E724 Sat
Followed by The Four-Story Mistake

The Saturdays (1941) is a children's novel by the award-winning author Elizabeth Enright. It is the first of her four books about the Melendy family, followed by The Four-Story Mistake, Then There Were Five, and Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze. It tells of the adventures of the four Melendy children, who pool their allowances and take turns having adventures in pre-World War II New York City.

Plot

The four Melendy children live with their father, a widowed professor of economics, and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, in a brownstone in New York City. There's thirteen-year-old Mona, who has her heart set on becoming an actress; twelve-year-old mischievous Rush, who plays the piano; ten-year-old Miranda "Randy" who loves to dance and paint; and thoughtful Oliver, who is 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. Each Melendy child is able to do exactly what he or she pleases, discovering new ideas along the way. Randy becomes friends with an old lady who was once kidnapped by gypsies, Rush brings home a stray dog, and Mona shocks her family by taking her first step toward adulthood. But when Oliver wants to be out on his own, too, the rest of the family has second thoughts.

Reception

Kirkus gave The Saturdays a starred review for "books of remarkable merit", calling it "A delightful family story, built around an original pattern."[1] May Hill Arbuthnot also liked the unusual structure of the book, pointing out that "Their adventures in New York City are characteristic of each child". She also calls them "often startling and always amusing."[2]

Concerning the four Melendy children, the Dictionary of Literary Biographies cites Enright's ability to "include the interactions and various viewpoints of a fully developed group of characters."[3] Reviewer Irene Haas agrees, calling the Melendy children "satisfying characters".[4]

See also

"Online Quiz". The Melendy Quartet. Retrieved 2012-05-15.

References

  1. ↑ "The Saturdays". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2012-05-20.
  2. ↑ Arbuthnot, May Hill, Children and Books, Scott Foresman, 1964, pg. 440
  3. ↑ Cech, John (editor), Dictionary of Literary Biographies: American Writers for Children, 1900-1960, Gale Research, 1983, volume 22, pg. 142;
  4. ↑ Chevalier, Tracy (editor), Twentieth-Century Children's Writers, St. James Press, 1989, pp. 318;

External links