*The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser

The Vanderbeeker family faces their greatest challenge yet in this last volume of a beloved series.

The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser. Clarion Books (HarperCollins), 2023, 402 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 6-10 as a read-aloud; 8-14 for independent readers

An Extraordinary Autumn

After their epic road trip to California (The Vanderbeekers on the Road), everybody’s favorite Harlem family has settled into another school year for Isa and Jessie (now 15), Olivar (12), Hycinth (9), and Laney (7). It won’t be an ordinary autumn, though—is it ever? This season is extra-special because the kids’ beloved Aunt Penny has grown into mutual affection for their formerly-cranky neighbor Mr. Beiderman. Mr. B is fully expected to propose once she arrives in New York to take up a job transfer. The blessed event occurs in spite of the Vanderbeekers’ bungled attempt to stage it, and soon they’re happily anticipating a Christmas wedding—no one more than Laney, who looks forward to tripping down the aisle as flower girl.

Almost immediately, though, a cloud hovers over their joy. Laney’s suspected flu turns into something more serious: a life-threatening condition that throws the whole household into crisis mode. Mama is spending most of her time at the hospital, Papa is wondering how to pay the bills, Jessie is furiously researching on her phone, Isa can’t seem to pick up her violin, Hyacinth is rounding up potential therapy dogs, and Oliver is looking for one special contribution help his youngest sister. The family is pulling together, but will all their efforts be enough?

Clouds and Sunshine

Each new book in the Vanderbeeker series embodies the adage, “Make new friends but keep the old.” All the new friends and neighbors from previous books make an appearance here, and if one hasn’t kept up with the family since The Vanderbeekers of 141^st Street, it could be a little confusing at first. More than that, though, the subject matter could be disturbing to very sensitive readers, and there’s real sadness among the hijinks and mishaps. How do we deal with bad news and fear? “I remind myself that I am surrounded by love . . . and that there is something bigger than me and bigger than all of us in this life,” Papa says. That may be the closest we come to a religious view, but the “something bigger” overshadows the entire series, personified by love (e.g., note the description of Miss Josie’s hands on page149). Love endures even after some of the people we love are gone. The series ends where it began, at Christmas time, reflecting as in a glass darkly the greatest Love of all.

Okay, I’ve got to do it (spoiler alert!): Laney pulls through. But not everyone does, and the mixture of sadness and joy that seasons every life is palpable in these pages. But also hope and fulfillment, as each of the young Vanderbeekers gains a little more grounding, character, and purpose. We’re sorry to say good-bye to this family, but we know they’re going to be okay. And so will we.

Overall Rating: 5

• Worldview/moral value: 5
• Artistic/literary value: 4.75

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: If you haven’t discovered the Vanderbeekers, start with 141^st Street (linked above), then Hidden Garden, To the Rescue, Lost and Found, Make a Wish, and On the Road (linked above).
• Resource: Don’t miss our interview with the author, Karina Yan Glaser!
• Review: The Penderwicks series is another read-aloud favorite. See our review of The Penderwicks at Last, and catch up with earlier volumes in our discussion of the series.

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