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Summary
Summary
The first book in the bestselling series that the New York Times Book Review hails as "delightful and heartwarming."
The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are.
And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.
The New York Times bestselling Vanderbeekers series is perfect for fans of the Penderwicks. As Booklist commented in a starred review: "Few families in children's literature are as engaging or amusing as the Vanderbeekers, even in times of turmoil."
The series includes:
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue The Vanderbeekers Lost and Found The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish The Vanderbeekers on the RoadAuthor Notes
Karina Glaser lives in Harlem, New York City, with her husband, two daughters, and assortment of rescued animals. One of her proudest achievements is raising two kids who can't go anywhere without a book. This is her debut novel.
Reviews (6)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Glaser sets her uplifting debut novel in contemporary Harlem, where the biracial Vanderbeekers rent the bottom two floors of a four-story brownstone from an inexplicably grouchy and reclusive landlord, Mr. Beiderman. The story opens on December 20, with the Vanderbeeker parents telling their five children, who range from age four to 12, that Mr. Beiderman is not renewing their lease and at year's end they will have to move out of the New York City home they've loved for years. The stunned children mount a mission to change their landlord's mind in 11 days. Each of the rambunctious Vanderbeekers is endowed with a passion or talent, Mr. Beiderman's ill temper is revealed to be grounded in tragedy, and Glaser infuses her novel with the comforting aura of a loving family in which everyone's idiosyncrasies are happily tolerated and misunderstandings are warmly resolved. Readers who enjoy a cheery story that's simultaneously old-fashioned and of the moment in its sensibility will enjoy this introduction to the Vanderbeekers and look forward to their future adventures. Ages 7-10. Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
The biracial Vanderbeeker family--five happy siblings and two loving parents--loves its close-knit Harlem neighborhood, minus grouchy, misanthropic landlord Mr. Beiderman. Then the Beiderman announces he wants the family out by New Years. The intrepid siblings decide to give their parents the Best Christmas Present Ever by making him change his mind. Predictably, but nonetheless amusingly, their various schemes tend to backfire--until the inevitable change of heart. Glasers third-person narration weaves individual characters plot threads and a palpable sense of place through the larger family story in the tradition of Jeanne Birdsall, Sydney Taylor, Elizabeth Enright, and Hilary McKay. monica edinger (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* As Tolstoy wrote, All happy families are alike, but few in children's literature are as engaging or amusing as the Vanderbeekers, even in a time of turmoil. Twins Isa and Jessie (12 years old), Oliver (9), Hyacinth (6), and Laney (4) react with disbelief, a bit of guilt, and plenty of indignation when they hear that Mr. Beiderman, their reclusive neighbor, has refused to renew the lease on their beloved Harlem brownstone apartment. With only 11 days left, the kids embark on Operation Beiderman, a series of secret initiatives intended to win over their landlord. A biracial family within a close-knit, diverse community, the Vanderbeekers are swiftly, deftly individualized by Glaser, who lets the kids' strengths, weaknesses, and quirks emerge as each takes the initiative and then deals with the repercussions that inevitably follow. Scenes are beautifully written, and a subplot adds depth to the novel. While there's pain and pathos here, humor is a constant, bubbling up in unexpected places. The story's ending seems inevitable, but it's moving nonetheless, and the journey to that destination is wildly entertaining. Add this captivating first novel to the list of family stories that would make an only child long for siblings.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2017 Booklist
New York Review of Books Review
BIG FAMILIES ABOUND In classic children's literature. Back in the 1940s and '50s, Eleanor Estes's four Moffats and Elizabeth Enright's four Melendy children, the six siblings of Sydney Taylor's "All of a Kind Family," and the Gilbreth offspring in "Cheaper by the Dozen" charmed children and adults alike. These books featured feisty white protagonists inventively solving problems by applying kid logic. But today's metropolitan world of rising rents, shrinking spaces and culturally diverse neighbors can make those older titles feel incredibly quaint. Enter the Vanderbeekers of 141st Street. They are a biracial family with five kids and three pets residing on two floors of "a humble red brownstone with a weathervane" in Harlem. And just like that, everything old is new again. Papa, a computer technician and building superintendent, and Mama, a professional pastry chef, cheerfully preside over their large brood of curious, spirited children: 12-year-old twins Isa and Jessie, 9-year-old Oliver, 6-yearold Hyacinth and 4-year-old Laney. They know all their neighbors by name, including a retired couple, a family who own the local bakery and Mr. Vanhooten, Isa's violin teacher. The cherished brownstone, drawn and diagrammed throughout the book, is a creaking, clanking haven of delights that evokes the pre-World War II brownstone of Enright's Melendy family. Isa muses, "Do you think the brownstone loves us?" There is no doubt that the children view the building as the eighth Vanderbeeker. Alas, there is a snake in this domestic paradise, and his name is Mr. Beiderman, their landlord, who is immune to their charms. When they learn he is not renewing their lease 11 days before Christmas, the children commence "Operation Beiderman," bringing him breakfast and giving him jazz records. Then there is the mystery of why Mr. Beiderman never sets foot outside his apartment. Like Scrooge, Mr. Beiderman is mean because he's sad, and once the Vanderbeekers uncover his tragic secret, they melt his frozen heart and usher in a happy Christmas ending. This is Karina Yan Glaser's debut novel, and her contemporary family narrative preserves the winsome tone and innocence of the classics while updating them. Instead of labeling their ethnic backgrounds, Glaser plants hints that suggest possibilities. The Vanderbeekers are "a biracial family," but Glaser never says which races. Instead we learn that "Isa inherited her mother's stickstraight black hair"; her twin, Jessie, has "Papa's wild, untamable hair." Oliver has "Mama's dark eyes," Hyacinth "Papa's large feet." This technique allows an array of readers to see themselves, their families and friends If Glaser's 141st Street often feels like Sesame Street, that's not a coincidence. At Christmas dinner, Papa toasts the neighbors who have nurtured his children: "Raising kids means more than just being a good parent," he says. "It means surrounding your kids with amazing people who can bring science experiments and jam cookies, laughter and joy, and beautiful experiences into their lives." Glaser's warmhearted story highlights a cold truth: What is often missing in the busy lives of today's plugged-in, checked-out families is a sense of community. In the vast village of New York City, she suggests, what it takes to raise a child can still be found on one square block. ?
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-A family of seven residing in Harlem get dreadful news five days before Christmas: their reclusive and grumpy landlord will not renew their lease, and they must be out of their brownstone by the end of the year. The five kids strategize multiple schemes to get Mr. Beiderman to change his mind; all seemingly make the problem worse. The children struggle with personal dilemmas as they also learn more about their landlord and each other. This debut novel reads like a joyous, heartwarming Hallmark movie. The conclusion seems inevitable, but the journey will fill listeners' minds with unique pictures of a loving family. Subplots include engaging tales about twins, budding musicians, pet care, and selecting thoughtful gifts. Robin Miles adapts her voice for each distinctive personality. VERDICT A recommended purchase for elementary and middle school collections.-Deb Whitbeck, formerly at West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A few days before Christmas the Vanderbeeker family finds out they will have to leave their beloved brownstone by the end of the monthor will they?When their landlord, Mr. Beiderman, decides not to renew their lease, the Vanderbeeker kids12-year-old twins Isa and Jessie, 9-year-old Oliver, 6-year-old Hyacinth, and 4 (and )-year-old Laneyspring into action to make him change his mind. They have neighbors sign a petition; Isa records a CD of her violin playing; Jessie builds a science project; Oliver writes a haiku; Hyacinth gives him a kitten; and Laney does a picture of the brownstone. Though the final outcome is predictable, it is the warm and supportive depiction of family, friends, and community that carries this book forward. The family is described as biracial, though what the two races are is not clear. (Mama has "stick-straight black hair" and dark eyes; Papa has "wild, untamable hair" and light eyes.) Set in Harlem, but with Dutch, German, and English names, the community feels white. The children are well-developed and wise beyond their years. They are also charged with duties beyond their years: the twins for example, are given the task of preparing the Christmas dinner for seven adults and five children. A heartwarming story about family and community that will appeal to readers who also enjoy an old-fashioned feel. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20 One In the middle of a quiet block on 141st Street, inside a brownstone made of deep red shale, the Vanderbeeker family gathered in the living room for a family meeting. Their pets--a dog named Franz, a cat named George Washington, and a house rabbit named Paganini--sprawled on the carpet, taking afternoon naps in a strip of sunlight. The pipes rumbled companionably within the brownstone walls. "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" The five Vanderbeeker kids looked at their parents. "Good news," said Isa and Laney. "Bad news," said Jessie, Oliver, and Hyacinth. "Right-o," said Papa. "Good news first." He paused and adjusted his glasses. "You kids all know how much Mama and I love you, right?" Oliver, who was nine years old and wise to the ways of the world, put down his book and squinted. "Are you guys getting divorced? Jimmy L's parents got a divorce. Then they let him get a pet snake." He kicked the backs of his sneakers against the tall stack of ancient encyclopedias he was sitting on. "No, we're--" Papa began. "Is it true?" six-year-old Hyacinth whispered, tears pooling in her round eyes. "Of course we're--" Mama said. "What's a dorce?" interrupted Laney, who was four and three-quarters years old and practicing her forward rolls on the carpet. She was wearing an outfit of red plaids, lavender stripes, and aqua polka dots that she had matched herself. "It means Mama and Papa don't love each other anymore," said twelve-year-old Jessie, glaring at her parents from behind chunky black eyeglasses. "What a nightmare." "We'll have to split our time between them," added Isa, Jessie's twin. She was holding her violin, and jabbed her bow against the arm of the couch. "Alternating holidays and summers and whatnot. I think I'm going to be sick." Mama threw up her hands. "STOP! Just . . . every-one, please. Stop. Papa and I are not getting a divorce. Absolutely not. We're going about this all wrong." Mama glanced at Papa, took a deep breath, and briefly closed her eyes. Isa noticed dark circles under her mom's eyes that hadn't been there the week before. Mama's eyes opened. "Let's start over. First, answer this question: on a scale of one to ten, how much do you like living here?" The Vanderbeeker kids glanced around at their home, a brownstone in Harlem, New York City. It consisted of the basement; a ground floor with a living room that flowed into an open kitchen, a bathroom, and a laundry room; and a first floor with three bedrooms, a walk-in-closet-turned-bedroom where Oliver lived, and another bathroom, all lined up in a row. A door on the ground floor opened up to a skinny backyard, where a mommy cat and her new litter of kittens made their home under a hydrangea bush. The kids considered Mama's question. "Ten," Jessie, Isa, Hyacinth, and Laney replied. "A million," said Oliver, still squinting suspiciously at his parents. "It's the best place in the world," reported Laney, who somersaulted again and knocked down Isa's music stand. The pets scattered, except Franz, who didn't flinch, despite now being covered in sheet music. "We've lived here most of our lives," said Isa. "It's the perfect home." "Except the Beiderman, of course," added Jessie. The Beiderman lived on the brownstone's third floor. He was a seriously unpleasant man. He was also their landlord. " Mr. Beiderman," Papa corrected Jessie. "And funny you mention him." Papa stood up and started pacing the length of the couch. His face was so grim that his ever-present smile creases disappeared. "I didn't see this coming, but Mr. Beiderman just told me he's not renewing our lease." "He's not renewing our--" Jessie started. "What a punk!" shouted Oliver. "What's a lease?" asked Laney. Papa continued as if the kids hadn't spoken. "Now, you have all done a great job this past year respecting Mr. Beiderman and his need for privacy and quiet," he said. "I mean, I thought for sure he would have kicked us out a couple of years ago when Oliver hit that baseball through his window, or when Franz used his front door like a fire hydrant. I'm surprised he's making us leave now, after a spotless record this year." Papa paused and peered at his children. The kids nodded and looked back at him with innocent eyes, all except Oliver, who was hoping no one remembered the little incident earlier that year when his Frisbee snapped a sprinkler pipe, causing a blast of water to shoot right into the Beiderman's open window. Papa did not bring up the sprinkler incident. Instead he said, "We have to move at the end of the month." The room exploded with indignation. "Are you serious ? We've been so good, there might as well be halos above our heads!" exclaimed Jessie, her glasses slipping down the bridge of her nose. "I haven't bounced a basketball in front of the building in months!" Oliver said. "What's a lease?" Laney asked again. "Isa has to practice violin in the freaking dungeon!" said Jessie. "Language," Mama warned at the same time Isa said, "I like practicing down there." Papa looked at Laney. "We have a lease with Mr. Beiderman. It's an agreement between us for living here." Laney considered what Papa said as she prepped another somersault. "So that means he doesn't want us?" "It's not that . . ." Mama trailed off. "I think the Beetleman needs hugs," Laney decided. She completed an accident-free somersault, then rolled over to lie on her stomach, searching for her bunny, who had taken refuge under the couch. Jessie glanced at the calendar on the wall. "So that's it? We've only got eleven days left here?" "He's really going to make us move right after Christmas?" asked Isa. "Is it because I can't keep Franz quiet?" asked Hyacinth as she chewed her fingernails. When Franz heard Hyacinth say his name, his tail gave a little wag and his eyes fluttered open, then drifted closed again. "I think it's my fault," Isa said. Her siblings stared at her. No one could imagine perfect Isa ever being the cause of getting kicked out of their home. "You know, because of my violin playing." "Kids, it's no one's fault," Mama interjected. "Remember how Papa and Uncle Arthur installed those energy-saving windows last year? Those windows are much more soundproof than the old ones. We've done all we can to try to persuade Mr. Beiderman to let us stay. I even left a box of lavender macarons outside his door." Mama blinked rapidly. As a professional pastry chef, she took macarons very seriously. "What a waste," grumbled Oliver, who also took macarons very seriously. "Will our new place have a basement? So I can practice?" Isa asked. "I'm only moving if I can have a science lab in the new place. With a Bunsen burner. And new Erlenmeyer flasks," Jessie said stubbornly. "My room's going to look exactly the same, right? Like, exactly? " asked Oliver. "Will we move close by? So Franz can keep all his doggie friends?" asked Hyacinth. At Hyacinth's comment, the other kids' eyes widened. They'd never considered that they might have to leave the neighborhood where they knew everyone on the block by name, age, and hairstyle. "I've lived in this neighborhood my whole life," Papa said. "My job is here." Only Hyacinth noticed that he didn't answer her question or look anyone in the eye when he said that. "Listen, kids, I have to fix the wobbly banister on the second floor and then take the building trash out. But we're not done talking about this, okay?" Papa took his worn blue coveralls off the coat hanger and pulled them over the work clothes he was wearing for his computer repair job; the coveralls looked like something an auto mechanic would wear. Papa observed the somber faces of his kids. "I'm really sorry about this. I know you love this place. But I promise, this will turn out okay." He slipped out the door. The kids hated when their parents talked about things turning out okay. How could they know? Before the kids could start in with the questions again, Mama's cell phone pinged. She glanced at the caller, then back at the kids. "I have to get this. But . . . don't worry. We'll talk about it more, I promise!" The kids watched her rush up the stairs, then heard her say, "Yes, Ms. Mitchell, thank you for calling. We're very interested in that apartment you listed--" followed by her bedroom door shutting. "Move!" said Oliver, breaking the silence. "That's bananas! Rotten Beiderman." "I can't imagine not living here," Isa said, her fingers running over her violin strings. "I really hope it wasn't my violin playing that caused all this." Isa had discovered Mr. Beiderman's particular distaste for instruments six years ago, when she was in first grade. She was performing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on her tiny, one-eighth-sized instrument for their second-floor neighbor, Miss Josie. Isa stood outside Miss Josie's apartment, but halfway through her song, Mr. Beiderman's door on the third floor burst open. He yelled down the staircase for the terrible racket to stop or he would call the police. Then the door slammed. The police! On a six-year-old violinist! Isa was in tears, and Miss Josie invited her in and fed her cookies from a delicate china dish and gave her a pretty lace handkerchief to dry her eyes. Then Miss Josie insisted that Isa keep the handkerchief, which Isa to this day stowed in her violin case. "It makes no sense," said Jessie, pacing back and forth between the couch and the picture window. She ran her hands through her wild hair, which made her look like a crazed scientist. "Newton's third law says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Now consider this: Papa does so much for the building. He keeps the front stoop clean, he rakes leaves, he shovels snow. He saves the Beiderman so much money by doing all the repairs himself. So what about Newton's third law? The Beiderman kicking us out of the building is not an equal reaction." "I want to see a Newton!" exclaimed Laney. "I don't think that law applies here," said Isa, unconsciously adjusting her neat ponytail into an even neater ponytail. "Newton's laws apply to everything," Jessie said with her I'm-right-and-no-one-can-convince-me-otherwise voice. "Uncle Arthur helps with the big repairs," Oliver commented as he searched through the stack of ancient encyclopedias for the one marked with an N . "Papa does all the daily stuff," Jessie pointed out. "And he fixes Uncle Arthur's laptop whenever it breaks." Oliver pulled the correct encyclopedia from the stack and flipped through it. "Newton is this guy," he said to Laney, pointing to a photo in the book. "He has very nice hair," said Laney, running her fingers over the picture. "Don't read that," scolded Jessie. "Those books are sixty years old and full of inaccurate science." "Okay, people," Isa interrupted. "Let's get back on topic. I figure we have until Christmas to convince the Beiderman to let us stay." "That's only four and a half days!" Jessie exclaimed. She looked at her watch. "One hundred and six hours." "Exactly. Less than five days, people. Who has ideas?" "Give him lots of hugs?" suggested Laney. Oliver rubbed his hands together and raised one eyebrow. "Let's spray-paint his door." He gave a dramatic pause. "With disgusting bathroom words." Isa ignored her brother. "Laney, I think you're right. We should try to do nice things for the Beiderman. You know, change his mind about us." Jessie and Oliver looked skeptical. Hyacinth looked scared. Laney looked ready to give out hugs. Lots of hugs. After a long silence, Oliver shrugged. "I'd be willing to do nice things for him. If he lets us stay." "I guess I can try to be nice to him," Jessie said. Isa gave her a grateful look. "Although if this doesn't work, Oliver and I totally get to spray-paint his door. What do you think, Hyacinth?" "He scares me," Hyacinth said, chewing at her pinky finger. "It's five against one!" said Oliver. "What could he do to us, anyway?" "I know you can do this," Isa said to Hyacinth. "You need to channel Hyacinth the Brave." Hyacinth nodded but continued gnawing on her pinky. Isa mused. "Wouldn't it be great if we were able to convince the Beiderman to let us stay? It would be like giving Mama and Papa the most amazing Christmas present ever." The Vanderbeeker kids thought about giving their parents the Best Christmas Present Ever. Of course, Hyacinth had already made presents for them--she had completed them two months ago--but she liked the idea of a group gift. Oliver, who had spent quite a bit of time contemplating what he was going to get for Christmas, just remembered he was expected to give gifts as well. "Mama and Papa deserve an amazing present from us," Oliver decided. "Let's keep it a secret." Isa looked at him. "You haven't gotten them anything yet, have you?" Oliver quickly changed the topic. "If it's a secret, we need to make sure you-know-who doesn't spill the beans." He gave a not-so-discreet nod toward Laney. "Laney, this is a secret," instructed Jessie. "Right," Laney agreed promptly. "Right what?" Jessie said. "Right, let's be nice to Beegermack," Laney said. "Yes, but we're going to keep it a secret from Mama and Papa. Right, Laney?" Jessie prompted. "Right!" The five kids started exchanging ideas for winning over the man on the third floor. Operation Beiderman had officially begun. They tried to feel hopeful about their plan, but in the back of each of their minds, they were all thinking the same thing: How do you make friends with a man you have never seen and who has not left his apartment in six years? Excerpted from The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
