The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

The Vanderbeeks of 141st Street

Karina Yan Glaser

Contemporary Middle Grade

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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.

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I think this is the fifth time I've read this story. It is such a good one!

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(3.5, rounded to 4 😉)

I was immediately intrigued with the premise and thought it would be super fun to read. It was so hilarious and very family-centered, which I loved. I also loved how close the whole family was, because I feel like I don't see that a lot in Middle Grade novels.

"It takes a super brave person to be as generous as you are, Hyacinth. Not many people are brave enough to be so loving” ~The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

Characters:

- Mama and Papa -

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Again, I really loved how much the parents were in on their children's lives! They were super fun, and very loving to their children.

- Isa and Jesse -

⭐⭐⭐⭐

These two were so fun! The two 12-year-old are so fun together. Jesse is the scientist who is always reading a massive book on—you guessed it—science! And Isa is the musician, always playing her violin.

- Oliver -

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I absolutely loved this guy's love of books!! That automatically bumped him in the radar for me 😉. He was such a good older (and younger) brother.

- Hyacinth and Laney -

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

These two were so sweet! I absolutely adored crafty little Hyacinth, and her fun personality. And Laney was the cutest little sister!

Romance:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Okay, so while this is a romance book, there definitely is a little relationship (*spoiler* between Isa and her friend Benny *end spoiler*). They go on a walk alone and hold hands once or twice.

Content Warnings:

There was nothing major in this book, but there were a few words that I felt were unnecessary (like, s*cks, fr*aking, f*dge, and a few 'what the—'s). Also, the siblings were speculating about someone, and mentioned that he might have killed someone. It wasn't enough to make me stop reading it, but just something to keep in mind 😊.

Age Range:

10+. It was such a fun book, and I've even read it to my little brother before!

My Thoughts:

This was a super fun book that I would totally recommend to you if you were looking for a fun and easy read. Although I felt there was a few unnecessary words and didn't appreciate that they lied to their parents (which did get brought up later and addressed by the parents), I still will reread it again and again.

You can add this book to your Goodreads here -> The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street | Goodreads <-

And then possibly buy it! -> The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street <-

That's all for today's post! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. 😄 Tallyho!

Deigan