Family Sabbatical

Ridgeway Family #2

by Carol Ryrie Brink, Susan Foster (Illustrator)

Professor Ridgeway is on sabbatical in the South of France—and the whole family is along for the adventure. Susan has brought her diary to document their vacation fun, but Dumpling isn’t convinced that France can compete with their house with the tower back in Midwest City. She’s brought along her doll, Irene, as her little piece of home. George is just happy to have some new terrain to search for rocks. As the Ridgeways settle in, they find out that a real, live princess is staying at their hotel. But who could she be? While they search for the princess, they also begin studying French with their stern tutor, Mademoiselle—but isn’t it more fun teaching her some not-so-proper English? And as Halloween and Thanksgiving roll around, the Ridgeway children decide to show France a little bit of what these holidays mean back home in America—with some unexpected results! France will never be the same after the Ridgeways.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Juvenile, 2nd Grade, 20th Century

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 20, 1956

About the author

Carol Ryrie Brink was an American novelist and children’s writer best known for capturing frontier life with warmth, humor, and historical detail. Raised in Idaho after a childhood marked by early family tragedy, she grew up under the care of her grandmother, whose vivid storytelling later inspired her most celebrated book, Caddie Woodlawn, winner of the 1936 Newbery Medal and a lasting classic of American juvenile literature. Educated at the University of Idaho and the University of California, Berkeley, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa before marrying mathematician Raymond W. Brink and settling in Minnesota, where she balanced family life with a prolific writing career. Over several decades she produced more than thirty books for young readers and adults, often drawing on Midwestern landscapes, pioneer history, and her own experiences. Summers spent in rural Wisconsin further enriched the authentic settings of her fiction. In later years she also pursued poetry and painting. Honored by her alma mater and commemorated in her hometown, Brink remains remembered for stories that celebrate independence, resilience, and the imaginative life of childhood.

Reviews

[Sonia Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I go for a traditional Christmas without too many decorations? No Santa... No reindeer...

A traditional tree with wax candles lit with tapers, adorned with beautiful ornaments.

To Paris of course.

The Fairs with figures for a crib, even a teensy angel...

After the sadness of the Second World War I needed the Glory of Paris.

So Paris it was....Beautiful!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ridgeways, that endearingly quirky mid-western family consisting of history-loving Professor Ridgeway, mystery-writing Mrs. Ridgeway, sensible eldest daughter Susan, animal-loving middle child (and only son) George, and precocious Dumpling, with her grave pronouncements, whose story began in Family Grandstand , return in this second novel devoted to their adventures, finding themselves in France while Prof. Ridgeway is on sabbatical. Opening in Cannes, where the family are ensconced at The Grand Hotel Majestic et de l'Universe - christened "The Grand Hotel and So Forth and So Forth" by Mrs. Ridgeway - Family Sabbatical follows the irrepressible Ridgeway siblings as they corrupt their French governess Miss Beauregard's beautiful dictionary-derived English, befriend the elderly Princess Adelaide Louisa von Mettnock-Hohenwürtzel, and, once in Paris, attend a French school.

Many of the same qualities that made these characters appealing in the first book - Susan's sensible mothering, George's passion for collecting (rocks, in this case), and Dumpling's devotion to her doll Irene - were also to be seen here, as was the general family love that makes the Ridegway family's adventures such a pleasure to read. Apparently these two books were based on Carol Ryrie Brink's own family life - her husband was a professor at a midwestern university, and the entire family spent some time in France on sabbatical - and that authenticity really came through, I thought These are fictional characters, but one feels that they could be real. I liked the Ridgeways' democratic, American sensibilities - the fact that they were comfortable socializing with all kinds of people - and I appreciated their openness to new cultural experiences. I could have happily lived without the Thanksgiving scene with the "Indian" dancing, but leaving that aside, this was a very enjoyable read. Recommended to young readers (or older ones) who enjoy heart-warming family stories!

[Susann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can you believe I've never read this? So far, it's simply suburp. Update: just finished and thought it was cute. Not as good as Brink's TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE, but I had fun with it and probably would have enjoyed it even more when I was a kid. Bonus points for any book in which the characters make doll furniture.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too problematic for today's children... there are newer family stories that are a better use of library's budgets. The racism in the Thanksgiving pageant in particular is awful. Also history is not all about castles and dungeons, and mice don't particularly like cheese, and milk doesn't agree with most adult cats.

Read it for nostalgia's sake if you must, but if you share it with your children, at least tell them it was *never* ok to think of "Indians" as exotic primitives with generic names.

I admit I do understand why Pearl thought it worth bringing back. Lots of bits & aspects are great. And I'm glad she didn't bowdlerize or modernize. But still. Most of you can skip this.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books as a child. I loved it so much! My friend and I read it at the same time. We both sat together at one table in class and enjoyed comparing notes. We got in trouble so many times for talking and giggling over something that happened in Family Sabbatical. This book was a real joy to read!

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book (Family Grandstand), but wasn't so sure about the second one at first. The first half seemed rather silly, but the second half more than made up for it. To avoid spoilers, I will just say that the youngest sibling loses one of her precious treasures and the other two children do their best to console and comfort her. All this happens at Christmas time so there are a lot of sweet moments. I shed quite a few tears over those last chapters.

Highly recommended if you are fans of vintage family fiction such as All-of-a-Kind Family, Betsy and Tacy, and the Little House books.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming little book. The Ridgeway family takes a sabbatical year to spend in France, for Dad to study history and Mom to work on her latest novel. The three children keep busy in their attempts to learn French and in their more successful attempts to teach their governess colloquial English. They meet a princess, collect rocks, and get the measles.

There isn't much of a plot, but I loved this book anyway. The kids are fun and real, and there are so many funny moments.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't think why it took me so long to track this down and read it after I enjoyed "Family Grandstand" so much, but I'm glad I did. I really liked it. In fact, I thought it was simply suburp.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, funny, touching, and perfect for the holiday season.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It’s quite off,” she said, “but I think home isn’t exactly a house or a place. It’s wherever we all are - all our family together, I mean.”

It was lovely to travel with the Ridgeway family to France and follow along on all of their adventures. This book is a pure delight from start to finish. Filled with nostalgia and simpler times, it made me remember exactly how it feels to experience the excitement of new experiences as a child. I can’t recommend this (and the first Ridgeway book, Family Grandstand) enough!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half was a bit slow, but the second half (Paris) was wonderful. I laughed out loud multiple times. There are some great Christmas scenes towards the end of the book that I would love to read at Christmas. As always, Susan, George and Dumpling make friends, get into hilarious scrapes and are good-hearted kids who are a pleasure to read about. I love that this was set in France.

[Jennifer Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Family Grandstand, the first book featuring the Ridgeway family, and I liked this sequel even better! The kids feel very real (they remind me so much of my own kids!) and the setting in France is interesting to read about. The story is a charming look at a real, healthy, loving family. When seven-year-old Dumpling loses her beloved doll, and the rest of the family pulls together and works extra hard to give her a really special Christmas to cheer her up… well, I may or may not have shed a tear or two. I highly recommend this book!

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

We chose to read this without reading the first in the series due to reading books set in France this summer. It was even better than I expected. I much prefer it to Nesbit’s children adventures. If you love The Family Under the Bridge, you’ll enjoy this.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and funny! It was lovely to reread this French adventure of the midwestern Ridgeway family.

[Emma Grace Blumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a favorite when I was growing up, and it was so delightful to enjoy it with Regina as her fall read-aloud! Mademoiselle is the best!

[Kathleen Vincenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

France with the Ridgeways

A wonderful joyful tale of a family from Midwest City who travels to France, the people they meet and befriend and the holidays they celebrate. I didn't want it to end. I'll be sending it to my niece who lives in France but loves the Midwest, especially Halloween in Chicago.

[Will Burpee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this when I was 10 years old, obviously a long time ago. I read this before finding the "prequel", "Family Grandstand", and like this one slightly better. Part of it is the more exotic setting of France. The adventures are entertaining and believable, and I learned a lot about the country from this book. It's also where I first learned what the word "sabbatical" means. One of my all-time favorite childrens' books, and one adults would like as well, I think. I'm only sorry Carol never wrote more about the Ridgeways.

[Nashelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

5* - I adore the Ridgeway Family duology! Susan, George, and Dumpling are such endearing characters. Their wholesome slice-of-life stories are seasoned with so much humor and heart. They really are "warm hug" books!

[Kathryn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed both of the Ridgeway Family books! In this one we follow the Ridgeway Family as they travel to France. I love Dumpling, Mademoiselle, and the chapters during the holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). I'm so glad I heard about these books from Kate Howe's youtube channel.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed this installment about the Ridgeway Family even more than the first. Of course, I was already invested in their adventures from already being introduced to them in Family Grandstand.

The family has moved to France while their father is on sabbatical. He is a history professor and is researching his next publication.

Each chapter is a kind of vignette, loosely held together to form our story. They begin in Cannes and end in Paris. Along the way they meet some wonderful and some quirky people. The children, Susan, George and Dumpling, have a governess who is supposed to teach them to speak French. In reality, the children teach her American slang. They meet a princess, lose a beloved doll, catch mice (Mickey and Minnie), entice a cat to come home with them, and celebrate holidays. They learn what "home" really means and how to love their experiences in a foreign country while still honoring their American heritage.

The parents allow the children to make plans and execute them. Sometimes they are more hands off, other times they enter in to help. It is a good balance.

I loved living with this family in the pages of this book. The latter part deals with Christmas and so was a lovely way to enter the holiday season this year.

[Mitzi Cyrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the only book I vividly remember reading in elementary school; checked out from the magical basement of the city’s library, it made a definite impression. I ordered it for my 10 year old granddaughter but had to read it again before giving it to her. I can only hope she loves it as much as I did; actually, I can only hope she reads it, when she now has competition from series like Harry Potter, the Wimpy Kid, and others. The two older Ridgeway children are often making new words out of English phrases, like “Abyssinia” when they say good bye; reminded me much of Amelia Bedelia, although she would have trouble understanding their little jokes. The children also played the game of Authors, which I remember playing, and loved it while learning the names of classics. I’m off to look to see if the game is still available!!

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5? A family goes to France for six months, and quiet little family adventures ensue. So many of my friends adore this, and I just couldn't. The casual racism, Father was annoying, George was annoying, Susan had her moments. I did like Mother and Dumpling generally. I felt badly for Mademoiselle, who was so far out of her depth. I liked it a bit better when they were in Paris. People raved about the Christmas scenes, but even as a hardcore Christmas fan, I barely rated it more than a huh. Just not my book, nor would I particularly feel a need to introduce it to the kids classics section, even with Nancy Pearl's rerelease.

[Priscilla King · Rating 4 out of 5]

The three Ridgeway children share their parents' sabbatical trip to France. They eventually learn enough French to be able to communicate, with a lot of pointing, with a few French people, but a large part of the story is about their friendship with their tutor, a young French woman whose real agenda is to learn English and come to the United States. They teach her mid-twentieth-century slang.

This is a nice, whimsical children's story I enjoyed as a child. Rereading as an adult, I find it adorably dated--historic, even--and still fun to read.

[Ric Eberle · Rating 5 out of 5]

How utterly delightful to reread a book that I fell in love with in 6th grade. Reading about the Ridgeway children’s adventures in France around the same time that I was living in Germany and I traveled through France seeing the same sights and having some of the same experiences, especially the Santons. Take the time to go back and remember how wonderful it was to enjoy a book when you were younger.

[Charla Virkler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful story! The kids and I loved hearing about what it's like to live in a different country for a year, learning the language and culture and trying to blend familiar customs with new experiences.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, quaint, charming. There's nothing earth shattering about the six months the Ridgeway family spends on sabbatical in France, but they and the delightful and quirky cast of characters they meet along the way are fun to spend time with.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I never read this book as a child, so just read it now as part of a group read. I liked it a lot; the children won’t be quite as beloved to me as, say, the Melendys or the Moffats, but they are funny and interesting. I liked the descriptions of France and French life.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful old fashioned story by the same woman who wrote Caddie Woodlawn. Kids today seem to prefer books about dragons and magic and wildly improbable adventure.

I loved the book and recommend it snd other books by Brink.

[Carrie Brownell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good, clean, old-fashioned family story from the 1950's. The family Ridgeway are on a sabbatical for six months in France and this book tells of their adventures while traveling. Super sweet, super fun. Fans of Cleary should hop on this one. It's a delight.

[Anna Beth Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book. I read it to my kids and we just laughed and laughed. Also so endearing. We look forward to reading the first in this series and also The Pink Motel by the same author.