The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

by Karina Yan Glaser

Paperback, 2017

Status

Available

Collection

Publication

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, [2017]

Description

Told that they will have to move out of their Harlem brownstone just after Christmas, the five Vanderbeeker children, ages four to twelve, decide to change their reclusive landlord's mind.

User reviews

LibraryThing member foggidawn
Jessie, Isa, Oliver, Hyacinth, and Laney love everything about their brownstone in Harlem, so when their parents announce that their reclusive landlord Mr. Beiderman is not renewing their lease, the siblings are devastated. They immediately embark on a plan to shower Mr. Beiderman with kindness and
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convince him to let them stay, but somehow their plans keep going awry. Will they find a way to reach the crusty old fellow, or will this be their last Christmas in their beloved home?

This book is a lot like The Penderwicks, and I love the Penderwicks. It's packed full of charm and warmth and whimsy, and anyone who enjoys this sort of sweet family tale should certainly pick it up!
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LibraryThing member bookchickdi
The first thing that takes you in Karina Yan Glaser's first middle school novel, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, is the colorful cover illustration. Looking at the figures in the windows of the bright red townhouse makes you want to look inside the book to find out who these people are. You want
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to be inside this building.

Once inside, you will be enchanted by the interesting Vanderbeeker family. Mama likes to bake and share her treats with the neighbors. Papa maintains the building, owned by Mr. Beiderman who keeps to himself. The Vanderbeeker children are not your typical plugged-in kids- 12 year-old Isa loves to play the violin, her twin brother Jessie creates scientific experiments, 9 year-old Oliver writes poetry, 6 year-old Hyacinth is an animal lover and 4 year-old Laney loves to draw, and they all love to read books. There is nary a cell phone in sight; instead, there are lots of pets.

When Mr. Beiderman tells the family that they must move after Christmas, the family is devastated. This is the only home they have known. They love their neighborhood- the bakery owned by the family of a boy who has a crush on Isa, the deli, the coffee shop, the library and City College. What if they have to leave the neighborhood and move far away?

The kids get together and come up with a idea to make Mr. Beiderman change his mind and let them stay, but it doesn't go as planned.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street is the kind of book you want to share with everyone in your family- it would make a wonderful book to read aloud. The Vanderbeekers are a lovely family, kind to each other, but in a realistic way. It's refreshing to see children who respect their parents, and who help Mom cook and set the table without (too much) complaint.

The secondary characters are interesting too- the upstairs neighbors who are so sad to be losing their friends, and as someone who had a basset hound, Franz the basset hound warmed my heart. Even Mr. Beiderman's story is moving.

The theme of the book can be best summed up by a speech Papa makes at a farewell Christmas dinner:
"I have always believed that raising kids means more than just being a good parent and trying to do the things," Papa went on, his voice beginning to wobble. "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. From every part of my being, I want to thank you for giving me and my family the gifts of friendship and love."
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street brings this wonderfully vibrant New York City neighborhood alive, and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I love the Vanderbeekers and all their friends and family and neighbors! If you have children or grandchildren in your life, you'll want to read this to them. And if you know a teacher, this would be a great addition to their classroom library.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
A cute story about a sweet, lower middle class family about to be evicted from the brownstone that has always been their home by the mean landlord who lives upstairs. Set in a much kindler, gentler time in one of those neighborhoods we all wish we knew - where neighbors know about and care for each
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other, the kids are free to roam. Four sisters and their brother hatch various schemes to change their landlord's mind. A bit disjointed in the narrative but the unique characters and family relationships provide an enjoyable read. And there's a house rabbit!
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LibraryThing member lycomayflower
The Vanderbeekers (interacial family; five children, one boy, four girls; ages five through twelve; including two twins) live in a brownstone in Harlem and love both the house and the community they are a part of in the their neighborhood. When their reclusive landlord, "The Beiderman," declines to
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renew their lease in the weeks before Christmas, the children decide to change his mind. Adventures ensue wherein the kids try to convince Mr. Beiderman to like them and thus renew the lease. I enjoyed the kids and especially the setting, though the middle dragged just a bit for me. The ending, where we find out what's up with "The Beiderman," is a bit of a gut punch. Appropriate for older kids, I think. It made me cry. Recommended, especially to fans of [The Penderwicks].
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LibraryThing member bell7
The Vanderbeeker kids - Isa, Jessie, Oliver, Hyacinth and Laney - have lived in the brownstone house as long as they can remember. A few days before Christmas, their grouchy landlord decides not to renew their lease, and the kids hatch a plan to make "the Beiderman" let them stay in their home.

The
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interracial family (exactly what races we're never told, it's left to the imagination with both their parents having "dark" hair) living in a New York apartment. It's funny and charming, with each child different and relatable family dynamics. Readers of classic children's literature and The Penderwicks will find much to like and little to surprise in this warm, funny and charming tale.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
A few days before Christmas, the Vanderbeekers' landlord, better known as "the Beiderman," notified them their lease would not be renewed. The five children grew up in the Brownstone and wish to continue living there. As their parents seek other affordable alternatives for a family as large as
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theirs, the children organize an effort to get Mr. Beiderman to change his mind. While some of it does not seem all that realistic, young readers may not notice as much as adults. The author's debut novel shows promise as either a stand-alone or as the beginning of a series featuring the Vanderbeekers.
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LibraryThing member kmjanek
The story starts on December 20 (coincidentally the day I started this book, somewhat on purpose) and is set in Harlem. Readers will get to enjoy a detailed map on the inside of the book cover. The characters include twins Isa and Jessie (12 years old), Oliver (9), Hyacinth (6), and Laney (4). They
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are close to their parents and they seem to be a biracial family living in a diverse area. Mr. Beiderman, their landlord and upstairs neighbor, decides not to renew their lease and they have 11 days to move out. The children have never lived anywhere else and they love their neighbors and school. They react with disbelief, a bit of guilt, and plenty of indignation so they embark on Operation Beiderman, a plan to quickly to win over their landlord. What makes it even worse, is that it is so close to Christmas time. The children overhear their parents worrying about what they are going to do, so they take it upon themselves to try to help. The plan is put into action and Mr. Beiderman is showered with secret gifts. The children never really see him because he never leaves his apartment. He is a bit of a recluse. As the children start to investigate Mr. Beiderman’s past, they find out he used to be different. He had a life, family and friends. Only a few people really know what happened. The reader will find themselves hoping for a happy ending and the mystery of Mr. Beiderman to be revealed.

The details of this book are funny, sweet, descriptive and moving. The kids seem to be wise beyond their years (but it is fiction) and they are charged with some pretty adult things, like making Christmas dinner for a large family. Everyone has their thing that they are good at. The kids like their parents, siblings and school, which makes this a refreshing, upbeat story. The dialogue flows and I think that all ages will appreciate this story. It is perfect to read just before Christmas, but it really can be read at any time of the year.

It is a great addition to the school library because it addresses diversity, it is age appropriate, it teaches kindness and it helps readers realize they can prevail through the hardships life throws at them. This is the authors first book, but based on the hype and publicity, I think it will have a place in school libraries for years to come. The cover is illustrated in a non-gender specific tone. The characters are both boys and girls. I would make for a good classroom read aloud. It would also be a good choice for school book clubs, literature circles and free read choices. I personally loved this book! It was well written and just heartwarming to read.
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LibraryThing member karenvg3
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It came through my feed several times and then as I was weeding the children’s section at work I came across it. I loved the story of the 5 children and their plight to change the Beiderman’s mind about their lease. A cute, quick read. 4🌟
LibraryThing member ashleytylerjohn
I cried (unexpectedly) so that's, for me, a good thing.

It reminded me somewhat of the Penderwicks--a nice family, differentiated, generally supportive, and I appreciated a strong central through-line rather than a series of gentle episodes. I'm a big fan of NYC (I visit twice a year, for the
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shows), and liked that I personally could picture the setting very clearly, but it's hardly a necessity for enjoyment.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
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LibraryThing member justagirlwithabook
This was the sweetest middle grade novel I’ve read in a long time. The Vanderbeekers are the type of family you just want to be be adopted into. I absolutely adored them - the kids, their parents, the neighbors, and all of the pets. An absolutely pure, enjoyable read!
LibraryThing member Slevyr26
Just the cutest, sweetest little Christmas-is-saved story of the cutest, sweetest (not so) little family.
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Karina Yan Glaser delivers a charming family story and an ulitmately heartwarming Christmas tale with her debut children's novel, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street.
LibraryThing member deslivres5
I think this title, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser was automatically recommended to me after I read the Penderwicks series and I now can see why. Lots of similarities between the two series: wholesome, large family of kids with various strengths in the arts, science, music,
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sports and all around cuteness. And adorable family pets!
This series takes place in Harlem, has an interesting multi-racial family (I don't believe the races are actually mentioned nor does the cover art give any clues, which I found endearing), a interesting neighborhood of friends, sweet family dynamics, a mean landlord and a problem to solve regarding the brownstone that they have lived in for many years.
This juvenile fiction is also the first of a series. On to the next adventure with this lovely family!
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LibraryThing member JulesGDSide
The Vanderbeekers of 141 Street will have to move out of their beloved brownstone after Christmas, which is in five days. All five children are shocked, they don't want to leave and they come up with a plan to win their landlord over. When Christmas Day is here, they still haven't made any
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progress, or have they?

A wonderful middle-grade book about siblings that pull together to reach their goal, about neighbourhood and neighbours, and how hard it can be to make friends.


This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
Harlem, NY -- the 5 Vanderbeeker siblings are horrified to learn that they have to move after their lease is not renewed. They launch a plan to convince the landlord to let them stay. Heartwarming, very community centered, also very NYC. If you love the Penderwicks or The Misadventures of the
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Family Fletcher, I think you will like this. Great characters, some wacky adventures and ideas put into practice, and kindness in the face of tragedy is how they ultimately save the day.
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LibraryThing member ms_rowse
Golden Sower nominee. Listened to audiobook. Reminded me of books I read as a kid that made me want to live in New York City--vivid enough descriptions of the city that make it seem magical, even though I'm old enough to know that while it might have magical moments, it's not always so. Actually,
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that kind of syncs with the plot, now that I think about it...
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LibraryThing member secondhandrose
This was a charming middle grade fiction book about a family in Harlem. Faced with the prospect of moving due to their curmudgeonly landlord being unwilling to renew their lease, the children ranging in age from 4 to 12 take matters into their own hands. Devising various plots to have their
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landlord change his mind, the book also celebrates family and community. I could almost smell the breads and pastries baking at their friends store.
I am looking forward to reading more of the Vanderbeekers adventures in the next few books.
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Language

Original publication date

2017-10-03

Physical description

297 p.; 22 cm

ISBN

1328499219 / 9781328499219

Barcode

515

Pages

297
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