Every Vanderbeekers book makes me happy and I am always sad when I am finished! The Vanderbeekers never fail to entertain, and this book is no different. This time the grandparents they don’t really know show up for an unexpected visit. Mama is at the bakery nonstop and Papa is away so it’s up to the kids to entertain their grandparents. Their grandmother is critical and hard to be around, and their grandfather never talks. The kids aren’t sure what to do, but after they find a mysterious letter from their dad’s dad, they become interested in learning more about their past - and in the process they learn more about the grandparents who are with them. As always, the Vanderbeekers will make you laugh, cry, and learn more about yourself and the world around you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Clarion Books, for the advanced copy.

This is a really great series! The kids all work together well to solve a problems (sometimes problems of their own doing). I really like how the kids are trying to help someone throughout the books and doing something nice for someone else. It shows a good sense of community and is a great example for anyone who reads these books.

Karina Yan Glaser does it again! A heartwarming, engaging, delightful tale of the much-loved siblings banding together to make Papa’s birthday special, while fending off Grandma’s criticism. I liked how the children’s feelings were validated, while exploring appropriate and respectful solutions.

These Vanderbeeker books keep getting better and better. This latest one has the children wanting to throw their dad a surprise birthday party. However, all kinds of problems happen. Dad is called out-of-state to help a friend, unexpected company arrives, and the children find something unexpectedly. When the children discover a letter from their dad’s dad, Pop Pop, they decide to track down some information that could make his birthday even better. Are they able to find out the information? Then, when something happens and dad can’t get home for his birthday, the family makes a huge decision. Will it work?

I received an approval of this book through Edelweiss+ several months ago, and I read/reviewed it there.

The Vanderbeekers remain my favorite family in KidLit. Every adventure they go on fills my heart with warmth, hope for humanity, and joy. The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish is another hit! Fear not: the series has NOT lost any steam! The characters and their community are as charming, endearing, and uplifting as ever! This time, the Vanderbeeker kids are on a mission to create the most wonderful surprise for their father's birthday. There's an intriguing bit of mystery mixed in with this realistic fiction story when they discover a letter to their father from the grandfather they never met. They discover so much along the way about extended family and family history. Each new character they meet reveals to them a little more of the puzzle related to their grandfather and his letter, and it fits together in a beautifully serendipitous way. If I could live in a fictional world with fictional characters, I'd without a doubt choose the Vanderbeekers.

The Vanderbeekers are back! I love this family and their adventures. I love their connections to one another, their community and their extended family. This book brought about new people and new adventures. I love Grandpa and the developing relationships there. In true Vanderbeeker fashion, the book starts with A LOT of action and chaos (like you would expect) and then quickly turned into some teamwork, problem solving and relationship building.
I loved this book and just felt I wanted more at the end! I wanted to know what happened. Now I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book.

I will never tire of reading of the many adventures of the Vanderbeeker family! This one is incredibly timely in dealing with the microaggressions facing Asian Americans in the US, but in a way that stays true to who the Vanderbeekers are, and how readers have come to love them over the previous books. In this one we meet Mama's parents, and whew! are they a handful! But have no fear, the Vanderbeekers know how to win them over.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.com

First Line: Wild was a word that could describe the weather on 141st Street on the first Monday of August.

Summary: The Vanderbeekers struggle to survive an end of summer that doesn't go exactly how they planned. Papa's 40th birthday celebration get delayed. The overbearing, judgemental grandparents make a surprise visit. And then the Vanderbeekers make a long, hidden secret discovery about their family's past. Can they work together to uncover the mystery?

Thoughts: A wonderful, heartwarming continuation of the story of the Vanderbeekers. Just went you think Karina Yan Glaser can't find anything else more endearing and beautiful for the family to experience, she pulls another discovery out of her hat. I even think she takes this one a step further by really digging through the history of Papa and his upbringing. It's always perplexed me what ethnicity the Vanderbeekers actually are, and you actually get a little insight near the end of the novel.

FYI: This is the fifth in a series. You definitely need to read them in order, if only to enjoy the complex discovery of all the different personalities of the family.