What to Read to Your Kids

It is at once the saddest and happiest of weeks, because although the seventh title was just released in Karina Yan Glaser’s beloved middle-grade series about a contemporary biracial family with five children and an entourage of rescue animals living in New York City, it is also the last. The Vanderbeekers Ever After may be out in the world, but our time in the company of this dearest of families is drawing to an end.

For our family and so many others, this feels like the end of an era. No series has left more of an imprint on my family’s hearts. No series has been greeted with more excitement in our house. No series has grown more with my children or withstood the test of time, from budding elementary readers to discerning teens. No series has been more fun to read aloud! When my kids look back as adults at the years I spent reading to them, these are the books they are going to remember.

I’ve written quite a bit about this series over the years—I penned a blog post about the beautiful thread of community that runs through these stories and an IG post with my family’s Top Ten Reasons Why We Love the Vanderbeekers—so it felt only right to celebrate (commiserate?) its conclusion by turning the mic on Karina herself. Today, I’m sharing an interview I did over the summer with Karina, where she puts into words what this journey has meant to her. Along the way, she shares how hard it was to write this last book, one of her favorite pieces of fan mail, who might play Mr. Beiderman on the big screen someday, and what’s next for her. As I do when I interview favorite authors (see past interviews with Corinna Luyken and Shawn Harris), I also ask about how she has worked to inspire a love of reading in her own children—and which reads alouds are near and dear to her family’s hearts!

Q: First of all, congratulations! Seven bestselling books, one beloved family. They say all good things must come to an end, but this certainly feels bittersweet for those of us who have adored this family from the very first page. Can you put into words what it feels like to be closing the curtain on the Vanderbeekers?

Thank you so much! It is very strange to be ending the Vanderbeekers series. I feel like this series has so closely mirrored my own experiences as a mom raising kids in New York City, and now I feel like the Vanderbeekers are growing up and experiencing independence. It’s a wonderful and tragic thing! 🙂

Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced in writing this final book? What did you want to leave readers with?

I found this final book to be very difficult to write, but then again, I feel like every book is difficult to write! I always want to give my best effort with every story, and I wanted the series to describe an arc from the first book to the last. Closing all those little storylines and adding something new to the series that demonstrated the growth of the characters was quite a challenge.

Q. Gah, I can’t wait to see where things end up! Looking back, did you ever anticipate the effect these characters would have on young (and old!) readers?

I did not expect readers to connect with the Vanderbeekers on such a deep level. I have received letters from readers who have related to specific characters or told me that this was the first book they read start to finish. I have met parents at events who tell me that reading the books out loud to their kids helped them during those many lonely evenings during the pandemic. Writing can feel so isolating, and sometimes I’m shocked that people have actually read my books and connected with them.

Q. (Raising my hand at taking refuge in the Vanderbeekers during the lonely evenings of the pandemic!) There has always been something timeless about this series. It’s a contemporary, urban family; and yet, the stories, with their familial relationships and emphasis on nurturing community, have always recalled the large-family stories I grew up on, aspirational but authentic. Was this intentional?

Thank you so much! And yes, this was very intentional! I wanted to honor the books about big families that I loved when I was young, while also giving them a modern twist. Raising my own children without a big family support system has been a challenge, but I have found that having a large community of found family has been critical. I think many families have experienced that same thing and relate to the idea of the larger community speaking into their lives.

Q. At the same time, the books are unmistakably grounded in your hometown of New York City. I know our family has enjoyed visiting many of the real places in the story (and continue to lament that Castleman’s Bakery isn’t real), and I’ve always loved the way the city feels like its own character in the stories. What was your favorite piece of the city to bring to life?

I love the Harlem neighborhood I’m raising my kids in, and it’s so wonderful to depict this beautiful community in the books I write.

Q. I know parents aren’t supposed to pick favorites, but which character will you miss writing the most?

Oh wow, it is so hard to decide! I feel like each character has gone through their own journey over the course of these books, and they are all dear to me in different ways.

Q. OK that’s fair, I’m not sure we could pick a favorite, either. Can we talk about the dialogue in these books? It’s chef’s kiss perfection for reading aloud! What’s your trick for writing such funny, genuine, well-timed dialogue?

Thank you so much! Writing dialogue is my absolute favorite, and I love injecting humor into the character’s relationships with each other. I do read the dialogue out loud, but I think the best way to learn how to write dialogue is to read a lot. You get a sense of the rhythm and what works and what doesn’t.

Q. If the books were ever to be turned into a show or movie and you had your pick at casting, who would play Mr. Beiderman?

I never think about the books turning into a movie, because everything moves so slowly in Hollywood. That way, I just let myself be pleasantly surprised whenever I get an update! When Amy Poehler first optioned the books, she said she was thinking of Jeff Daniels as Mr. Beiderman. I mean, Jeff Daniels! Wow.

Q. That’s amazing! How did I miss the news that Amy Poehler optioned the books?! In lieu of an eighth book, I can’t imagine anything that would make your fans happier. From following you on Instagram, I know how dedicated you are to answering fan mail. What do readers want to know about the Vanderbeekers? What’s one of the most memorable things you’ve been asked?

Most kids want to know what inspired the books or which character I relate to the most. I get lots of funny notes and pictures, but I think one of my favorites was when a young reader suggested that the Vanderbeekers be turned into graphic novels and submitted a sample of what she would do with the book so she could be considered as the artist.

Q. LOL, somehow that does not surprise me! I’m certain that many of the young readers who love the Vanderbeekers aspire to be writers themselves. (Not to mention musicians! Or bakers! Or keepers of dogs/bunnies/chickens!) What’s a piece of advice that has steered you well towards accomplishing your dreams?

I think having a tangible goal is so important. This should be a goal that pushes you to work hard, be single minded in your pursuit of excellence, and something that you’re very passionate about. 

Q. Speaking of goals, because this blog has always been about inspiring a culture of reading in the home, and because I have relished reading aloud each of the Vanderbeekers books to my own children, I’d love to ask you about some of the ways you’ve worked to instill a lifetime love of reading in your own children. Can you tell us one or two things that have worked?

I think the best thing we can do as parents to instill a love of reading in our children is to read with them all the time. Before my older daughter was even born, I was reading books out loud to her. I read chapter books to my kids when they were toddlers splashing around in the tub and were too young to understand a word I was saying, and I went to the library with them multiple times a week. I brought books with us on the subways and loved that time together reading out loud. My kids also see me reading all of the time. Now, my kiddos are thirteen and fifteen. They both have a huge collection of books in their room and are constantly reading and sharing book recommendations with me. It’s a beautiful full circle moment!

Q. Nothing better than when our children start sharing recommendations with us! What have been some read-aloud favorites in your house over the years (picture books or longer)?

Some of my favorite read aloud books have been:

All the World, by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee

Uptown, by Bryan Collier

Tar Beach, by Faith Ringgold

Clementine, by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee

See You in the Cosmos, by Jack Cheng

The Best Man, by Richard Peck

The Wednesday Wars, by Gary Schmidt

Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson

Q. ALL great books! The Clementine series (I wrote a blog post about it) and The Wednesday Wars (more here) rank among some of our family’s favorite read alouds as well. OK, the million-dollar question: what’s next for you? We already know you’re just as capable of writing stellar stand-alone middle-grade fiction (A Duet for Home) as series. Will you stick with this age group or flirt with others?

I am currently working on a historical middle grade novel! Historical fiction is incredibly difficult! I love writing middle grade, and I think I will probably always write for that age group, although I would love to one day write a chapter book series.

Q. Ooooh, historical fiction is a favorite genre, so I can’t wait for that! I also think you’d be brilliant at writing for younger kids, a.k.a. a chapter series, since your writing is always so accessible, well paced, and peppered with quirky, memorable characters. How about an entire series starring your newly-trained service dog, Lalo? 🙂 Well, thank you so much for your time today, Karina! I know I speak for all my readers when I say what an absolute gift these books are to children (and those who love them). May they forever have a place on our shelves and in our hearts!

Thank you so much for all you do with your children’s book reviews! You are such a resource to so many parents, and I appreciate your thoughtful work!

Well, that was a delight. And now I’ll just be over here, batting away my children’s requests to start the new book tonight. (Is there higher praise than when a nearly 16 year old can’t wait to listen to a book intended for a younger audience? I think not.) Because yes, I know I’m going to cherish every word, but I also know I’m going to cry when it’s all over, and I’m not quite ready to say goodbye.

Tagged: chapter books for 9-12 year olds, family dynamics, interview, Karina Yan Glaser, New York City Setting, read-aloud chapter books

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