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Quick answer: If you loved The Vanderbeekers, read Jeanne Birdsall's The Penderwicks, then Heather Vogel Frederick's The Mother-Daughter Book Club, then Elizabeth Enright's The Saturdays, and Eleanor Estes's The Moffats and Beverly Cleary's Ramona the Pest and Beezus and Ramona. All are warm family stories for middle-grade readers.
Karina Yan Glaser's Vanderbeekers books follow five siblings in a Harlem brownstone. These picks share its sense of family and community.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Penderwicks | Jeanne Birdsall | Ages 8-12 | modern classic |
| The Mother-Daughter Book Club | Heather Vogel Frederick | Ages 9-13 | friendships and books |
| The Saturdays | Elizabeth Enright | Ages 8-12 | family adventures |
| The Moffats | Eleanor Estes | Ages 7-11 | everyday family |
| Ramona the Pest | Beverly Cleary | 6-9 | readers who like school stories |
| Beezus and Ramona | Beverly Cleary | 7-10 | readers who have siblings |
| Anna Hibiscus | Atinuke | Ages 5-8 | family warmth |
| Because of Mr. Terupt | Rob Buyea | 9–13 | great teachers |
| Raymie Nightingale | Kate DiCamillo | Ages 9-13 | friendship |
| Absolutely Almost | Lisa Graff | 9–12 | self-worth |
| Stella Diaz Has Something to Say | Angela Dominguez | Ages 7-10 | shy girl |
| Counting by 7s | Holly Goldberg Sloan | 10 and up | resilient young heroines |
| Walk Two Moons | Sharon Creech | 10-14 | readers who like layered stories |
| The Great Brain | John D. Fitzgerald | 8-12 | readers who like con games |
| Understood Betsy | Dorothy Canfield Fisher | Ages 8-12 | city to farm |
1. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Four sisters spend a summer at a cottage. Charming and old-fashioned in feel.
Best for: modern classic.
2. The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick
Four girls and their mothers form a book club. Warm and bookish.
Best for: friendships and books.
3. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
Four siblings pool their allowance for adventures in New York. Funny and classic.
Best for: family adventures.
4. The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
A family in a small Connecticut town has small adventures. Quiet and funny.
Best for: everyday family.
5. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Ramona starts kindergarten and gets into funny trouble. Charming and real.
Best for: readers who like school stories.
6. Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
Beezus is annoyed by her little sister Ramona. A classic of sibling life.
Best for: readers who have siblings.
7. Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke
Anna lives with her large family in Africa. Cheerful and gentle.
Best for: family warmth.
8. Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
A new teacher changes the lives of seven fifth graders. Told in alternating voices.
Best for: great teachers.
9. Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
Three girls form an unlikely bond over a baton-twirling contest. Quiet, funny and sad.
Best for: friendship.
10. Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
A boy who feels he is not good at anything finds a caring nanny. Gentle and honest.
Best for: self-worth.
11. Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez
Stella is nervous about speaking up. A warm story about friendship and confidence.
Best for: shy girl.
12. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
A gifted girl is left alone after a tragedy and slowly builds a new kind of family. Warm and hopeful.
Best for: resilient young heroines.
13. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Sal tells the story of a road trip while she tells her friend's story. A Newbery winner.
Best for: readers who like layered stories.
14. The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
Tom Fitzgerald, a clever boy in 1890s Utah, cons everyone in town. Narrated by his younger brother.
Best for: readers who like con games.
15. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
A timid city girl learns confidence on a Vermont farm. Gentle and wise.
Best for: city to farm.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Vanderbeekers: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Vanderbeekers. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For similar families, read The Penderwicks or The Mother-Daughter Book Club. For classics, try Ramona the Pest or The Saturdays. For modern warmth, pick Raymie Nightingale.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Vanderbeekers?
Karina Yan Glaser.
What is the first book?
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street.
What age is it for?
About 8 to 12.
Which book here is best for city to farm?
Try Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, which suits readers looking for city to farm.
Which book here is best for readers who like con games?
Try The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald, which suits readers looking for readers who like con games.
Which book here is best for readers who like layered stories?
Try Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, which suits readers looking for readers who like layered stories.
Which book here is best for resilient young heroines?
Try Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan, which suits readers looking for resilient young heroines.
Which book here is best for shy girl?
Try Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez, which suits readers looking for shy girl.