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The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street (The Vanderbeekers, 1) Hardcover – Illustrated, October 3, 2017
Purchase options and add-ons
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 Road
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level3 - 7
- Lexile measure810L
- Dimensions5.5 x 1.1 x 8.25 inches
- PublisherClarion Books
- Publication dateOctober 3, 2017
- ISBN-100544876393
- ISBN-13978-0544876392
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From the Publisher
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street | The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden | The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue | The Vanderbeekers Lost and Found | |
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Customer Reviews |
4.7 out of 5 stars
2,211
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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4.9 out of 5 stars
649
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Price | $6.64$6.64 | $7.94$7.94 | $9.99$9.99 | $9.19$9.19 |
Don't miss a moment of the complete Vanderbeeker family series! | A sweeping family story that is as lively, diverse, and noisy as any street in Harlem | The Vanderbeeker children set out to build the best, most magical healing garden in Harlem. | The Vanderbeeker kids find themselves racing to save their mother’s baking business. | The Vanderbeeker kids attempt to make their neighborhood a better place, one heartfelt plan at a time. |
The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish | The Vanderbeekers on the Road | The Vanderbeekers Ever After | |
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Customer Reviews |
4.8 out of 5 stars
380
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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4.6 out of 5 stars
211
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Price | $8.99$8.99 | $11.02$11.02 | $16.99$16.99 |
The Vanderbeekers are on a mission to find the perfect way to celebrate their Papa's fortieth birthday in this hilarious fifth book in the series! | The popular Harlem family is putting the VAN in Vanderbeekers on a surprise road trip that turns rocky. | The charming Vanderbeeker family finds love and hope in hard times in the concluding volume of this bestselling series. |
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Review
"Glaser’s love for the Vanderbeekers shines through in her prose and stick drawings. Readers will look forward to future adventures. A highly recommended purchase for all middle grade collections." — School Library Journal (starred review)
"Few [families] in children’s literature are as engaging or amusing as the Vanderbeekers." — Booklist (starred review)
"[Karina Yan Glaser’s] contemporary family narrative preserves the winsome tone and innocence of the aforementioned classics while updating them with a rich, modern diversity of characters, settings and problems. 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." — New York Times Book Review
"A heartwarming story about family and community that will appeal to readers who also enjoy an old-fashioned feel." — Kirkus Reviews
"With rich dialogue and detailed descriptions of the neighborhood, the text provides a humorous and heartwarming story about siblings uniting to save their home. Through the Vanderbeekers, Glaser provides a portrait of the splendors of Harlem and the sense of community that can be built among neighbors of all backgrounds. This will draw fans of rollicking family stories, and while it’s centered on Christmas, it would be enjoyable any time of the year." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Uplifting. 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." — Publishers Weekly
"Glaser’s 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." — The Horn Book
“The Vanderbeekers join the Melendys, the Cassons, and the ‘All of a Kind’ Family on my list of favorite book-families. I’m in love with every single Vanderbeeker! Their story is utterly enchanting: I did not want it to end. More, please?” — Linda Sue Park, Newbery medalist
About the Author
Karina Glaser is the New York Times bestselling author of the Vanderbeekers series and A Duet for Home. A former teacher as well as employee of New York City’s largest provider of transitional housing for the homeless, Karina is now a contributing editor at Book Riot. Karina lives in Harlem, New York City, with her husband, two children, and assortment of rescue animals. One of her proudest achievements is raising two kids who can’t go anywhere without a book. Visit her at karinaglaser.com.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
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?
Product details
- Publisher : Clarion Books; Illustrated edition (October 3, 2017)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0544876393
- ISBN-13 : 978-0544876392
- Reading age : 7 - 11 years, from customers
- Lexile measure : 810L
- Grade level : 3 - 7
- Item Weight : 14.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #94,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Quick Review! What to know about this story
Alexandria
About the author
Karina Yan Glaser grew up in Illinois and California, and when she was young her favorite place in the whole entire world was New York City. She ended up going to college in New York City and never moved away. She now lives in Harlem with her husband, two daughters, and an assortment of rescue animals.
Karina started writing The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street when her uncle dared her to write a book. Now she is a New York Times bestselling author; her books include The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden, and The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue. She is currently working on books four and five in the Vanderbeekers series.
Karina’s books have been translated into twelve languages and have been optioned for film by Amy Poehler. She is also a contributing editor for Book Riot and co-host of the Kidlit These Days podcast. One of Karina’s proudest achievements is raising two kids who can’t go anywhere without a book. Find her online at www.karinaglaser.com.
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The Vanderbeekers have lived in their brownstone apartment in Harlem for the past 6 years. Now it is almost Christmas, and their landlord, Mr. Beiderman, has decided not to renew their lease, and without giving a reason. The five Vanderbeeker children come together and make plans to try to convince Mr. Beiderman to let them stay in the apartment. They try bringing him breakfast, making/ buying gifts, and even start a petition to allow them to stay in their home. In the midst of preparing for their move, the family is also preparing for Christmas, which is a little sadder for them this year since it will be the last holiday in the brownstone. Will the children be able to convince the Beiderman to let them stay?
I loved this book! When I started reading, I immediately fell in love with the entire family. The author did an amazing job of developing the characters, and I loved the unique personalities of each of the children. I thought it was great that we see the sibling rivalry and disagreements between the children, but also how they come together to help their family. I also love that the Vanderbeekers are such a hard-working, loving family. You know that no matter what happens to them, they will be okay because of how much they love and care for one another.
I couldn’t wait to purchase a copy for my classroom!
Top reviews from other countries
"Majestic street lamps were staggered on both sides of the sidewalk, spaced fifty paces apart. In the evening, the warm glow of the lights made passersby feel that this street might have looked the same one hundred years earlier."
I really really loved the imagery in this book. The brownstone where the Vanderbeekers live is described so beautifully and with such details that you can imagine it to be the happiest place in the world. All 5 children have unique personalities that distinguish them but they look out for each other in that special way siblings do. They are also surrounded by loving friends neighbours and pets. The book is warm and cozy and a really really lovely read.
Set in Harlem, New York City, the Vanderbeekers' lease is not being renewed to the brownstone they have lived in for years. The five children are upset about this news and set about devising a plan to change their landlord's mind. Having never seen the landlord, Mr. Beiderman, over the years they have lived there, he has grown in their imagination a someone who is larger than life.
Although the plot is a bit predictable and the denouement is very quick and smooth, this book is so fun and makes a great family read-aloud.
I would enjoy checking in on the Vanderbeekers in the future.