The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue, written by Karina Yan Glaser, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: This is book #3 in the the Vanderbeeker series and it does not disappoint! The kids in the
Vandereeker family are growing older and helping out the family in more ways. They range in age from 6-13. The kids are Isa, Jesse, Oliver, Laney and Hyacinth and they are getting pretty good at working together. They have lots of friends, neighbors and business associates. While the story focuses on the children, the backstory to this particular calamity is that their mom used to be an accountant and she was not very happy at her job. Then she started a family and decided to stay at home with her children and pursue her dream of being a baker. She has been baking from home on a small scale, but she wants to expand her business a bit. In order to do so, she needs a permit. When the city inspector comes, he is horrified by the number of animals in their house and fails the inspection because you cannot have animals where you prepare food. This comes at a time when their mom was being recognized for her baking and was going to be featured in a magazine. A photoshoot was supposed to happen at their brownstone house. The kids try to help out by painting the living room, but accidentally do it a bright fuschia. As all this is going on, abandoned animals keep showing up at the Vanderbeekers and that is not good as the kids have set up another inspection to try to get the kitchen to pass this time.

Straight Talk for Librarians: If the summary seemed like a lot, that is because there is a lot going on in this book. There is definitely a sense of urgency in this realistic fiction, middle-grade book.  The story is told in shifting third-person point of view from the children. The characters are getting older and the reader can see it as the story unfolds. I like that the parents are present in the story and that the entire family gets along in the series. They are also very close with their neighbors, creating even more of an extended family. The author really gives readers a sense of living in New York City and readers will love the added maps on the inside of the book so they can trace where the Vanderbeekers go. The family is always busy which I think reflects a lot of readers’ lives. I think it’s also very important that the Vanderbeekers have some financial struggles, which readers might identify with. The kids are aware of this, but they do the best they can. They also realize that they are more fortunate than some and are willing to give what they have to help others. I think the kindness portrayed throughout the series will stay with readers and hopefully encourage them to practice random acts of kindness. This book is a must to continue the series in your library. It’s a great choice for independent reading.