Jeanne Birdsall is the National Book Award-winning author of "The Penderwicks" and its sequel, "The Penderwicks on Gardam Street" (Knopf), both of which were also New York Times bestsellers. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts withher husband, three insane cats, and a stubborn Boston terrier named Cagney.Visit her website atwww.jeannebirdsall.com.