The Vanderbeekers are back! It's summer and the kids are getting ready for Papa's 40th birthday when he has to leave to go to Indiana. They discover that Papa's dad, Pop-Pop, had planned a surprise road trip for Papa 20 years ago, but Pop-Pop died before he could share it with Papa. This book is so much fun as they learn more about the grandfather they never knew and try to recreate the road trip for him. I can't wait for the next book!

These stories are always fantastic! Everything just works. All the characters form a family that feels completely real! They still fight, have disagreements, have their own opinions, but through it all is the love for each other and the family as a whole. I loved the search for their deceased grandfather’s last message and what it would mean to their father. I also really enjoyed the new relationship they are developing with their other grandparents. I love that this story incorporated multiple generations and added in friends that are so close that they are family too. Great story! Can’t wait for the next one!

This series is perfection. Please, please, please keep writing a new chapter in the Vanderbeeker story each year, Karina Yan Glaser! I look forward to my time in Harlem with this family each year. This year the kids are preparing to celebrate their dad's 40th birthday. After discovering a letter that was written by their grandfather (Pop-Pop)to their father, they are inspired to plan a trip for him. They need more information and a treasure hunt of sorts begins. As they track down people who knew Pop -Pop, their plans start coming together. Complicating life is the fact that Mama's parents have come early for the party and they are not the most compliant of guests. Taking the grandparents to see some of the sights gives us the chance to go along. I especially loved the Brooklyn Bridge adventure. Mama's Treehouse Bakery and Cat Cafe' is still going strong. Sounds like a lovely place to visit. Spend some time with the Vanderbeekers. If you haven't met them yet, what are you waiting for?!

I've been following the Vanderbeekers since book 1 and it's nice to see them grow up together and new characters introduce to expand the storyline. The only downside is that I finish them too quickly and have to wait for the next one. This series would make for great reading aloud to your children or grandchildren.

My boys and I have loved reading through the Vanderbeeker series and the 5th book did not disappoint! It’s so fun to get wrapped up in a good story like this one, that will leave you wondering how the Vanderbeeker siblings will get themselves out of their next pickle/mystery to solve. I have loved the opportunity to talk with my boys about important values and character traits seen in each of the Vanderbeekers and love the opportunity this books provided to spend time with my sons while enjoying a great story together, We found it hard to put this one down and we were all sad when it ended. We can’t wait for #6 now!

This is the fifth in the series and I highly recommend starting from the beginning. We fell in love with the Vanderbeekers from book one. In this book, we follow the kids as they try and discover more about their grandfather that passed before they were born. Every character in this book is charming. My boys 8/10 love this series.

**I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher via NetGalley. All words and opinions here are my own, as always.**

Oh my favorite Vanderbeekers are back! Doing awesome things, and making awesome messes, and living a whole lot of good family fun. I adore this family and all their friends and neighbors, have I mentioned that?

You can read the publishers summary, no need for me to recap. This family of five siblings work together to make good things happen right where they are. They struggle with difficult relatives, unforeseen circumstances, fortuitous meeting, and life lessons that pull them together to make it through hard things.

There had better be another Vanderbeeker book coming down the line. In the meantime, I might reread the series for some self-prescribed and much needed comfort.

Another fabulous Vanderbeekers family story! I love these characters to the moon and back. The author knows how to add new elements to each book to keep things fresh and interesting. I hope she writes 100 books about this glorious family, their friends, and their pets!

The Vanderbeekers are back and they are just as lovely as ever! I love this family with my whole heart and so do my students. Karina Yan Glaser can do no wrong.

Oh my heart, I love this family so much! I loved getting to know new family members and could very much relate to dealing with a difficult grandmother! There are laugh-out-loud scenes that could only happen in the brownstone on 141st Street, and I cried buckets (but not as many buckets as in Lost and Found, the 4th book). I cannot wait for the 6th book coming this year! That Karina Yan Glaser keeps these books fresh and unputdownable speaks to her incredible writing and characters. I can't recommend this series enough - its a perfect combination of classic family stories with contemporary settings and characters that leap off the pages and right into your heart! ❤️

I enjoy this series. Not too many stories about mixed race familes. I happened to work with many families such as these, and it was wonderful to actually be able to offer a story about a family that mirrored theirs. I love this family for their togetherness and warmth. Story covers racism, but is mostly just inspirational. Wonderful series of books!

I really loved this book and the way that so many new characters were introduced. Their personalities were unique and different and so seet. I loved this book so much!

Like a warm cookie from Mama's oven, this chapter of the Vanderbeeker's story wraps you up and gives you the warm fuzzies. I loved the rich descriptions of their Harlem neighborhood and the conflict between the harsh grandparents and the parents. This series is sure to be a perennial favorite for kids everywhere.

With each new Vanderbeeker story, I fall more in love with this chaotic, multi-racial family. An unexpected visit from Mama's difficult parents and new facts about Papa's past cause the Vanderbeeker siblings to learn about the impacts of the past on the present. They grow in their understanding of their parents and deepen their family connections in this engaging series entry. Familiar side characters are present but take a backstage. As always, there is a satisfying, feel-good ending, but, for the first time, the book also ends with hints towards a next adventure. I can't wait.

As always, a delightful installment of The Vanderbeekers! This book felt particularly emotionally important as it highlights parental pressures, strained parental relationships, and kids finding their way to a loving place with their grandparents. There's also a bit of grief and history which make this book even more beautiful.

Huge thanks to Clarion Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this gem.

The Vanderbeekers are my favorite fictional family! I adore the simple pleasures the kids' find in their Harlem neighborhood. The kids are almost never on electronics in the books and yet they are never bored! They have daily adventures in their own brownstone home and the businesses surrounding it. In this installment, the children are on a mission to give their dad the best 40th birthday by taking him on the graduation trip his own father wasn't able to fulfill. The only problem is that they're not sure exactly where that is! As they research, they start learning about the grandfather they never got to know. At the same time, their maternal grandparents are in town for a visit, but why is grandma such a nag, and how come grandpa almost never talks? While I didn't love this book quite as much as its predecessors, I still highly recommend it. The Vanderbeekers are the family we all wish we were a part of!

This is probably sacrilege but I think I have only read the first book in the series. Being on MSBA I typically didn't read sequels for consideration and then time... but CYBILS isn't the same and here we are.

In this installment the children are trying to come up with a great gift for their father's upcoming birthday and discover that their grandfather, who died right before their dad's college graduation, had been planning a big trip as a gift. The children decide to find out all about that trip. Easier said than done... especially when their other grandparents arrive and cause awkwardness and then their father has to leave to help a friend.

Can the siblings figure out the mysterious trip and surprise their dad?

This was a decent book that fans of the series will enjoy.

I will never get enough of the Vanderbeekers! Papa's 4oth birthday is a week away and the family has planned a huge party. Then Papa gets some sad news and has to fly to the midwest. He'll be back in time for the celebration, right? While he's gone the kids research their grandfather, whom they never met, and deal with their maternal grandparents unexpected visit. This is another fun and heartwarming story in the series.

With characteristic charm, Karina Yan Glaser again tells an engaging story about the beloved Vanderbeekers.

As it opens, Oliver and his father are set to take a long-anticipated father-son camping trip when it has to be called off suddenly. While their father is out of town, the children spend time putting together a suitable party for their dad's upcoming 40th birthday.

Meanwhile, their mother's parents arrive for an unannounced visit. As their relationship is strained, the children struggle to find joy with the visit. However, some things feel different, and this turns into a beautiful opportunity for healing and restoration. There are hair-dyeing mishaps, tourist adventures, revealed family secrets, and frank but gentle conversations about racism and discrimination.

I have started reading this series with my two daughters, ages 7 and 11, and while we are only on the second book, I cannot wait to continue this series with them. There is humor and goodness and delight, all at attainable and age-appropriate levels.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

I sure do love the Vanderbeekers, and I sincerely hope Ms. Yan Glaser writes many more books in this series.

The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish is set over a period of just a few days, and the story moved quickly. I love how the author rewards long-time readers with peeks at our favorite neighbors and storylines happening behind the scenes. Papa's character was missed -- I'll admit that I hoped there would be a reunion scene at the end, but I understand why the author kept us in Harlem with the brownstone.