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{{short description|1941 novel by Elizabeth Enright}}
{{Infobox
| name = The Saturdays
| image =
| caption = First edition dustjacket with Enright artwork
| author = [[Elizabeth Enright]]
| illustrator =
| country =
|
| genre = [[
| publisher = [[Farrar & Rinehart]]
| pub_date = 1941
| media_type = Print ([[
| pages = 175 pp.<ref name=LCC/>
| isbn =
| oclc = 172840
| congress = PZ7.E724 Sat<ref name=LCC>[http://lccn.loc.gov/41017880 "The Saturdays"]. LC Online Catalog. Library of Congress (lccn.loc.gov). Retrieved 2015-10-31.</ref>
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = [[The Four-Story Mistake]]
}}
'''''The Saturdays''''' is a children's novel written and illustrated by [[Elizabeth Enright]], published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1941. It is the first of four books in the Melendy family series, introducing the four Melendy children who determine to stop wasting their Saturdays, pool their allowances, and take turns having adventures in pre-World War II New York City.
'''''The Saturdays''''' (1941) is a [[children's literature|children's novel]] by [[Elizabeth Enright]], 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]]''. The four Melendy children live with their father, a widowed professor of economics, and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, in a worn but comfortable 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 Randy who loves to dance and paint; and thoughtful Oliver, who is just six. ▼
In 2012 ''The Saturdays'' was ranked number 75 among all-time best children's novels in a survey published by ''[[School Library Journal]]'' – the second of three books by Enright in the top 100.<ref name=SLJChapter2012>{{cite web |url= http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/07/07/top-100-chapter-book-poll-results |title= Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results |author= Bird, Elizabeth | publisher=A Fuse #8 Production. Blog. [[School Library Journal]] (blog.schoollibraryjournal.com) |date= July 7, 2012 |accessdate=2015-10-31 }}</ref>
==Plot==
▲
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 makes a new friend with an old lady who was once kidnapped by gypsies, Rush brings home a stray dog, and Mona takes a first quivering step toward adulthood (to the shock of her family.) But when Oliver wants to be out on his own, too, the family starts having second thoughts. What if they join together for their Saturdays--what could they accomplish? ▼
▲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
In an incident involving a coal gas leak, the [[Paul Muni]] film ''[[The Life of Emile Zola]]'' is referenced.
==Reception==
''[[Kirkus Reviews|Kirkus]]'' gave ''The Saturdays'' a [[starred review]] for "books of remarkable merit", calling it "[a] delightful family story, built around an original pattern."<ref>{{cite web | title = The Saturdays |work =Kirkus Reviews |date=October 1, 1941 |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/elizabeth-enright/the-saturdays/#review |accessdate = 2012-05-20}} Starred review.</ref> [[May Hill Arbuthnot]] also liked the unusual structure of the book, pointing out that "[t]heir adventures in New York City are characteristic of each child". She also calls them "often startling and always amusing".<ref name=Arb>Arbuthnot, May Hill, ''Children and Books'', Scott Foresman, 1964, p. 440.</ref>
Concerning the four Melendy children, the ''[[Dictionary of Literary Biography]]'' cites Enright's ability to "include the interactions and various viewpoints of a fully developed group of characters".<ref name=dlb>Cech, John (ed.), ''Dictionary of Literary Biography: American Writers for Children, 1900–1960'', vol. 22, Gale Research, 1983, p. 142.</ref> Reviewer Irene Haas agrees, calling the Melendy children "satisfying characters".<ref name=20thC>[[Tracy Chevalier|Chevalier, Tracy]] (ed.), ''Twentieth-Century Children's Writers'', 3rd ed., St. James Press, 1989, p. 318.</ref>
==References==
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{{Reflist|25em}}
==External links==
{{Portal|Children's literature |New York City}}
*{{cite web | title =Top 100 Children's Novels #75 | work =School Library Journal | url =http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/05/19/top-100-childrens-novels-75-the-saturdays-by-elizabeth-enright/ | accessdate =2012-05-20}}
* [http://www.publishersweekly.com/1-59316-020-8 Review of audiobook] at ''Publishers Weekly''
* {{cite web |publisher= Fun Trivia |title= Elizabeth Enright's Melendy Family |url =http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/ForChildren/Elizabeth-Enrights-Melendy-Family-51009.html | accessdate =2012-05-15}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saturdays, The}}
[[Category:1941 novels]]▼
[[Category:American children's novels]]
[[Category:Farrar & Rinehart books]]
▲[[Category:1941 American novels]]
[[Category:1941 children's books]]
[[Category:Novels set in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Children's books set in New York City]]
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