Books like The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
Set in New York City during the year before Pearl Harbor, The Saturdays follows the Melendy family—a father who is an erudite but financially strained scholar, and his four children who live in a run‑down house under the care of a strict yet caring housekeeper. With limited individual allowances, the siblings agree to pool their pennies and, on each of four consecutive Saturdays, one child chooses how to spend the collective sum. Each Saturday brings a different adventure that reflects the children’s personalities and the growing maturity they gain from shared decision‑making. The novel portrays the complexities of family life, the dynamics of brother‑sister relationships, and the frugal spirit of a New York family living on the edge of poverty.
First publish date: 1955
Genre: Children's Fiction/Children's Adventure
Authors: Elizabeth Enright
★
★
★
★
★
5.0 (2 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to The Saturdays (20 similar books)
The beloved classic of American literature, Little Women, narrates the adventures of four March sisters as they grow up during the Civil War era.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
The story of a greaser and his friend, who are torn apart by the world's two types of people and must learn to cope with their differences.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 follows eighth‑grader Ramona as she navigates a new school, new friends, and the challenges of growing up, all while balancing family expectations and her mischievous sense of humor.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Beezus and Ramona opens the classic Ramona series, telling, from Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby's point of view, the humorous and heartfelt struggle of a nine‑year‑old sister trying to live with her four‑year‑old sibling.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Peter Warren Hatcher, a nine‑year‑old, navigates school, family antics, and the mischievous antics of his two‑and‑a‑half‑year‑old brother Fudge in this humorous children’s tale.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
An African‑American family from Flint, Michigan, heads south to visit Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama, where the ordinary rhythms of their lives are disrupted by the events of the summer of 1963.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
The Penderwicks follows four sisters, their two rabbit companions, and a curious new boy as they navigate adventures and family bonds during a summer vacation in Massachusetts.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Judy Blume’s "Double Fudge" follows mischievous Fudge Hatcher and his brother Peter as they navigate family life, sibling rivalry, and unexpected money mishaps with humor and heart.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Dicey Tillerman and her three siblings must survive after their mother abandons them, and they eventually find refuge on their grandmother’s farm, where they learn what it means to stay together as a family.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Twelve‑year‑old Katie learns a difficult lesson about kindness and resilience when a life‑changing accident leaves her bedridden, challenging her to live up to her ailing cousin Helen’s example.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
The Alden brothers and sister take in an unexpected family during a blizzard while caring for their own parents at a country farm.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A mystery novel set in Paris that explores family secrets and the complicated relationship between a detective and the man she loves.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew follows a father‑less family in New England who, despite living in poverty, remain joyful and resilient; their lives are transformed when a prosperous gentleman becomes their benefactor.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When Katie’s world collapses, her estranged grandmother Mary’s dementia forces a family reunion that reveals long‑hidden secrets, forcing Katie to confront her mother’s controlling ways, her own sexuality, and her future as she pieces together Mary’s past.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Rufus Moffat, a seven-year-old boy living with his widowed mother, experiences strange adventures while trying to learn ventroliquism.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
First‑grader Jake, nicknamed "the Pain," and his third‑grade sister Abigail, "the Great One," chase adventure as they visit a beach with Grandma, a county fair with Aunt Diana, and a mall with Dad.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Three‑year‑old Grover eagerly counts the days until Saturday, when his sister Georgie arrives for a puppet‑filled adventure that turns a quiet week into a celebration of family and imagination.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In a small town, Reverend and Mrs. Camden offer guidance to pregnant teens while classmates navigate school projects, sleepovers, and the highs and lows of growing up.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In early 20th‑century San Francisco, Susan Brown works as a bookkeeper and later as a companion to a spoiled, semi‑invalid heiress.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A playful collection of Judy Blume’s stories that capture everyday family life and childhood humor, bringing together the adventures of two fifth‑grade brothers.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
The Melendy Quartet by Elizabeth EnrightFamily Secrets by Joan Lowery Nixon
Cam Jansen Series by David A. Adler
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!