A review by allysonwbrunette
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

5.0

Every once in a great while, I’ll read a highly rated children’s or YA book and the simplicity of the storytelling ends up making for a highly enjoyable reading experience. I felt the same way when I read The Wednesday Wars last year (see the review in this post). This story follows a family of five children and two parents living in a brownstone in Harlem. They find out that their curmudgeonly landlord, Mr. Biederman, will not be renewing their lease 10 days before the end of the year. Dismayed at the loss of their home and community on 141st Street, the children set to work in an attempt to convince the hermit-like landlord to reconsider and let their family stay in the brownstone. The story follows each of the children’s unique skills (basketball, music, chemistry, art), interests (rabbit training, violin, Rube Goldberg machines, reading), and attempts at persuasion over the course of five days (arts and crafts, petitions, musical renditions, bribery by cookies and pets). I loved the way that this story presented both family and the sense of community gained through a strong neighborhood. The Vanderbeekers were a life force in the tiny pocket of their neighborhood, and while they didn’t seem to know it, the rambunctious group of five children brought joy to so many in their midst.