“The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street,”
by Karina Yan Glaser.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, 2017, 311 pages, Grades 4-6.
Holidays are supposed to be times of celebration. Families gather and share delicious meals and conversation. However, sometimes hard things happen that change these realities. This can be the loss of jobs, sickness in families or simply financial difficulties. During these tough times, family members need to come together and help each other.
The Vanderbeekers, a hard-working, loving family is about to be forced to leave their long-time home. Karina Yan Glaser writes an endearing novel about such times entitled “The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street.”
The Vanderbeekers live in Harlem, New York. The father is a devoted dad and a computer repairman. Mrs. Vanderbeeker is a talented baker. There are five children in the family, four daughters and one son. They have lived in a pleasant brownstone home on 141st Street for many years. The two oldest daughters, Jessie and Isa are twins and the two youngest daughters are Hyacinth and Laney. Oliver, the only son, is wedged between the twins and the younger daughters.
Isa is a talented violinist and practices for hours in the basement of the house. Jessie studies science constantly; Hyacinth sews and knits throughout the day while Laney practices being a princess. Oliver retreats to his room to be away from his sisters and reads an old encyclopedia set and dramatic novels such as “Treasure Island.” He dreams of high adventure.
The Vanderbeekers have a pleasant, happy life. That is, until they get an eviction notice from their landlord, Mr. Beiderman. On top of that, Mr. Beiderman is going to evict the family on Christmas Day. The parents try to plan a way to stop this process but are unable to come up with an acceptable solution.
With this, the children swing into action. They try numerous schemes to win over Mr. Beiderman’s heart such as first bringing him food, then a pet cat, and finally resorting to a petition campaign. All of this fails miserably. However, the owner of a bakery several blocks away gives them a valuable clue about Mr. Beiderman. Something terribly painful has happened to him. This is the key to unlocking his heart. But what can they do? Nothing seems to work.
In her distress, Isa picks up her violin and starts playing to solace herself. The music floats throughout the house. It is magical and something is about to happen. What is it?
Do the children finally find a way to touch Mr. Beiderman’s heart? Do the children save the family from eviction? Do love and music play a role in solving the problem?
Have you ever faced a hard situation? How did you solve it? What finally happens in the novel? To find out what happens, go to the library and check out this heart-warming story, “The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street,” by Karina Yan Glaser.
Most middle grade students will enjoy this charming book. The children act and think like children. All the children are beautifully portrayed, but Oliver is particularly funny because of his careful navigation through a predominately feminine world, while still dreaming of being a slashing buccaneer. Though the family is biracial, Glaser does not overemphasize the influence of race in the story. The Vanderbeekers could be any family, which adds to the universality of the novel.
This book is a beautiful story of a family going through hard times and relying on each other in a loving manner. This novel is the first in a series of books about the Vanderbeekers. If you are looking for a delightful tale, this is it. I hope you like it as much as I did. Enjoy!
