The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, by Karina Yan Glaser
I still read books for kids. When they're extremely well-written, I do a little dance in my head, and I'm right back in a big chair in my hometown library on a Sunday afternoon, curled up in a big chair, blissfully reading. Karina Glaser gifted me with a little childhood today. The Vanderbeekers are a family of seven living in a brownstone in Harlem, near City College. The characters are people you want to know. The Vanderbeeker kids remind you of your own childhood friends; immediately, you're part of the neighborhood, and you're falling in love with a brownstone on 141st Street. In an effort not to give anything away, I will just say the story will tug at your heart. The supporting characters are equally interesting: the couple in the apartment above, who welcome the children into their home, Oliver's friends, who dig into their own pockets for him, the Castlemans, the violin teacher, and the Beiderman himself. There was a moment when my eyes filled with tears,
