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.). There's thirteen-year-old Mona, who has decided to become an actress twelve-year-old mischievous Rush ten-and-a-half-year-old Randy, who loves to dance and paint and thoughtful Oliver, who is just six. Meet the Melendys! The four Melendy children live with their father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, in a worn but comfortable brownstone in New York City. Written over half a century ago, The Saturdays is simultaneously a winning portrait of the mid-20th century, as well as a timeless tale of childhood fun. But on a rainy day, Randy comes up with the idea that they'll pool their allowances, each taking a Saturday to experience the expensive things they want to do.Īnd so begins a summer of adventures: Randy goes to visit an art museum, Rush goes to hear Siegfried at the opera house, Mona (who wants to be a stage actress and is always quoting Shakespeare) visits a salon, Oliver has his own adventure just wanting to be independent like his older siblings, and all of them have numerous adventures and return with stories to tell and lessons learned along the way. The first novel in Elizabeth Enright's classic children's series The Melendy Quartet, The Saturdays is the work that kicks off the adventures of siblings Mona (13), Rush (12), Randy (10-and-a-half), and Oliver (6).Įach sibling gets only $0.50 a week allowance-hardly enough for anything.
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