 There are different leading characters throughout the series, like in the Sarah, Plain and Tall or Narnia series.Birdsall often refers to elements from classic literature, such as Emily of New Moon by Lucy Maud Montgomery.The Penderwicks, a family of six, (four sisters, their father, and their dog) get lost on the way to Arundel Cottage, which they have rented for the summer but find it with the help of a tomato seller named Harry and Cagney, the gardner at Arundel.