Step back in time with me.

It's August 2018 and we're in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Northampton is a picturesque vibrant town in western mass.

Now I live in Washington state, but I'm here in New England because my oldest two daughters

and I have been invited to the home of Tommy DePowla, the iconic children's book illustrator,

and a man I have a blooming friendship with through my work at Readaloud Revival.

Before our visit with Tommy, however, we've rented a car and made our way to Northampton

for a special breakfast date with another favorite author.

The sun is bright today and it's hot, but the trees lining the streets are swaying as gentle breeze

and the sky is blue, blue, blue.

People are bustling along the town streets, having amicable conversations and penning one another's dogs.

Ah, here we are. Sylvester's.

Like I said, two of my daughters, Audrey and Allison, they're 16 and 14 right now,

are with me and we're about to have breakfast with none other than Jeannie Birdzall, author of The Penderwicks.

Oh, you know the Penderwicks, I hope?

The first in the series is simply called The Penderwicks, a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy.

It's a contemporary series about Rosalind, Jane, Sky, Badi, and their friend, Jeffrey.

And it's heavily inspired by Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.

When I found out I was coming to New England to meet up with Tommy, I've reached out to Jeannie Birdzall,

who I had recently interviewed for Readaloud Revival, to let her know I'd be in the area

and would she be up to meeting for coffee? She said, yes, breakfast, and she knew just the place.

That's why we're meeting at Sylvester's. Sylvester's shows up in my favorite of The Penderwicks' book number four, The Penderwicks in Spring.

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