RAR #88: Don’t Miss This Book: The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
Are you looking for the episode with Dr. Michael Gurian? That one is actually episode 82: Why Fidgeting is a Good Sign (and what brain science has to say about reading aloud), Dr. Michael Gurian
Today I’m sharing one of the best books I read last year. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street is uniquely wonderful– a refreshing and upbeat middle grade novel featuring a loud and lively big family (5 kids and their parents), a curmudegonly landlord, a talented bunny, and enough witty dialogue to keep you warm for the rest of winter.
This is now my go-to recommendation for families who love The Penderwicks, All-of-a-Kind Family, The Saturdays or The Moffats.
The author’s dog is named Ginger Pye. So we knew she was gonna feel right at home here at RAR, right?
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- how a building or a place can (and did!) become a book character
- Karina’s writing process (hint: she wrote her first books during NaNoWriMo)
- books suggestions that celebrate families
Click the play button below:
Listener Guide
Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast:
- 4:59 Meet the Brownstone on 141st Street
- 7:01 First book!
- 13:50 Writing class lessons
- 15:03 Karina’s writing process
- 19:03 Middle grade book love
- 23:16 Karina’s favorite books as a child
- 25:53 ‘Mom’ as a writer
- 27:47 A character like Karina
- 28:50 Advice for Writers
- 32:09 Karina’s favorite recent books
- 33:33 What’s next for The Vanderbeekers
A couple takeaways …
- When setting becomes more.
“You paint such a vivid picture of Harlem in The Vanderbeekers. I think as readers we experience the brownstone house that the Vanderbeeker family lives in– and their Harlem neighborhood– as a character in the story, and I just love that so much.” (Sarah)
What other books turn the setting into characters? Share those books and discuss this idea with your kids.
- Just write.
“I liked the way that NaNoWriMo has a philosophy of just write, don’t erase anything, don’t delete anything, just write. And, I think that’s a really great way for people who get stuck in writing.” (Karina)
Do your kids get stuck? Maybe encourage this practice, even if it isn’t for long – 5 minutes? 10?
Books from this episode:
(All links are affiliate links.)
Links from this episode:
- Karina’s site
- Sign up for The Kids are All Right at Book Riot
- NaNoWriMo
- Gotham Writing Workshop classes
- Order The Read-Aloud Family
I started reading “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” and I want to make people aware of the content. The book has many sexual references and characters making jokes about adultery. It has one of the characters getting married to people and then divorcing them quickly. The book also mentions her spending the night at a hotel with a man who is already married. If you chose to read this book be aware of what is in it.
I am 13 years old and I began reading “See You in the Cosmos” and thought I should make others aware of some of the content. The book started out with a boy trying to launch a rocket into space. It started well, but in the middle of the story it changed. The story emphasized a non-Christian worldview and was pushing a Buddhist and atheistic one. The main character did whatever he wanted without his mom caring at all. He also made friends with strangers and even went to Las Vegas with them. The book had some people getting drunk. Other themes included implied homosexuality and sexual immorality. I ended up not finishing the book. While the idea of the story is a good one, there are some potentially controversial themes.
My son is the oldest (at 10) with four sisters after him, so he looooves books that have a single boy surrounded by sisters like The Vanderbeekers. We all loved it and can’t wait for the next one!