The Vanderbeekers live in Harlem, in an apartment that takes up two floors of an old brownstone. There are five Vanderbeeker children; the youngest child is almost five and the oldest two girls are twins, 12 years old. Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbeeker struggle to make ends meet.
Eleven days before the end of the year, the Vanderbeekers are notified that the lease on their apartment will not be renewed; they have to be out by the end of the year. Thus packing and looking for a new place has to be done at the same time as Christmas preparations and celebrations. There is no explanation from their landlord, Mr. Beiderman, as to why they have to leave, although they have had a strained relationship with him for years. When the children learn that they have to move, they are all very upset. They love their neighborhood and their home. The children come up with a plan to convince Mr. Beiderman to let them stay.
I decided to read this book after seeing Cath's review at Read-warbler last December. It is a middle grade children's book set at Christmas, and a very lovely read. I was mainly attracted to the setting; it did not hurt that the family lived in two floors of a brownstone building. And that the book had illustrations, including a map of the neighborhood.
I loved the characterizations of the children especially; in a family of five children, each had a distinct personality. The ages were 4 and three quarters, 7, 9, and 12 year old twins. My favorite character was Oliver: the middle child, the only boy, and the avid reader in the family.
This is the first in a series of seven books about the family. I don't know how realistic this is or if that matters for children's fiction, but I was caught up in the story and was emotionally invested in the ending, so it worked well for me.
This is a great read for Christmastime. And, because the book is aimed at children, it was a fast and easy read, even at over 300 pages.
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Publisher: Clarion Books, 2018 (orig. pub. 2017)
Length: 311 pages
Format: Trade paper
Series: The Vanderbeekers #1
Setting: Harlem, New York City, New York.
Genre: Children's book
Source: Purchased in 2023.
10 comments:
I like the cover too.
This one just gripped me last Christmas. So delightful and I loved the 'New York' atmosphere. The kids were great too. I want to read on in the series so must look up the next one which is a summery 'garden' story I think. Might make a nice July/August read.
It is a very lovely cover, Mystica. Lovely colors and depiction of a row of brownstones. I have a trade paperback but I found photos of the hardback and it has an equally lovely illustration on the back cover. I may have to find a copy of that, even though I try not to buy books just for the cover any more.
Cath, I might never have known about this book if I had not seen your review. Not my normal reading, but it was a very good read in many ways. The second book is about a garden and sounds good too.
This does sound like a great Christmas read, Tracy. And what I like about it is that it also sounds relatable. And any author who can get young people interested in reading gets high praise from me.
I agree, Margot, I love to hear about children reading. I have known people who discovered reading when they were older, but reading is such a resource for young people. I like reading about families.
This kind of reminds me of ALL OF A KIND FAMILY which I read as a child. I also like reading about families.
That sounds interesting, Patti. Also set in New York and about a family of Jewish immigrants. And the setting in time also sounds good.
This sounds like a really fine series and I love the NY setting as well. And perfect for this time of year.
Kathy, it is amazing how many books and series are set in New York City. I guess it provides a lot of variety since it is so large. My favorite series, the Nero Wolfe books, are mostly set in New York or surrounding areas.
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