“Nothing was certain in this world, Laney thought as she gazed at the magical snow and the crowds of people who had come to be a part of this day. Laney breathed it all in and gathered it into special place in her memory. Each day, each moment, felt so much more precious, especially after the past few months. It was all the more important to know that on the journey before her, she could always count on the people she loved and the place she called home. A home that was, and always would be, the brownstone on 141st street.
Summary - After their epic road trip to California (The Vanderbeekers on the Road), everybo favorite Harlem family has settled into another school year for Isa and Jessie (now 15), Oliver (12), Hycinth (9), and Laney (7). It wont be an ordinary autumn, thoughis it ever? Someone in the family faces some unexpected health problems and seeing this family we’ve grown to love rally and navigate uncharted territory was an experience we won’t forget.
We had bittersweet feelings finishing the last book in the Vanderbeeker series. The kids and I have enjoyed read each and every one (there are 7 in the series). This one was much more emotional than any of the other ones but it led to a lot of great discussions about gratitude and not taking our health for granted.
Highly highly highly recommend this series to any middle grade readers or lovers. If you’ve read this series, have you read this final chapter??
Find The Vanderbeekers Ever After at the publisher →
Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
