The Vanderbeekers on the Road (The Vanderbeekers, 6)

The Vanderbeekers are back for their sixth episode. When Dad can’t get home in time for his birthday, the family decides to surprise him and take him on a trip his father had planned for him but never got to take. They borrow a van from a neighbor and pack up (including 3 cats and a dog). Neighbors Mr. B. and Orlando join them. There are bumps along the way. Can they make it to Dad before the stroke of midnight on his birthday? The younger Vanderbeekers discover Jessie and Orlando are planning to interview for scholarships at UC Berkeley and vow to scuttle their interviews so they won’t move away. But Orlando really needs the scholarship, especially since Mr. B. quit his job.

Katrina Van Glaser has written another wonderful story of this family drama. The characters are well-rounded, and each flawed but lovable in his or her own way. This one takes the family out of their familiar brownstone in Harlem and gives them lots of problems to overcome in their close quarters packed into a van. The writing is great, the dialogue is snappy, and the story is very compelling. It is a winner.