Books for Kids Who Love The Vanderbeekers Series

Meet the Problim Children! Seven strange, mischievous kids born to parents who are always away on secret missions. When their home in the Swampy Woods explodes, they must embark on an adventure to find their late Grandpa’s home, where many secrets and surprises await. This is the perfect choice if you like quirky, slightly fantastical family stories with plenty of humor and adventure. Grades 5+

12-year-old June, her younger sister Mabel, and her mother are forced to move into Huey House, a homeless shelter in New York City. June’s mother has become non-verbal since their father died a few months ago, so June has to care for Mabel on her own. At Huey House, June meets Tyrell, and the two form a friendship based on their shared love for music. But just when she’s finding her footing at Huey House, she finds out that the government is trying to get people out of the home before they’re ready and sending them to unsafe neighborhoods. This book, also by Glaser, is a warm, realistic, and inspiring middle grade book about homelessness, grief, and a love of music. Grades 6+

Lucy, Freddie, and Herb have spent more time with each other than with their father since their mom died. But now one of their mom’s inventions has sold for a lot of money, and their dad has bought a food truck and wants them to spend the summer traveling through the country as a family. The family plans to also enter a food truck contest at the end of their trip to compete for $10,000. But along the way, they learn a lot about what really matters. The Peach kids will worm their way into readers’ hearts without any trouble. If you enjoy books about families, food books, or middle grade books about road trips, this is the perfect book for you! Grades 4+

Told from Jameela’s perspective, More to the Story is a modern middle-grade novel inspired by the classic novel, Little Women. Four Muslim-American sisters Jameela, Maryam, Bisma, and Aleeza are distraught when their dad has to go abroad for six months for a job. Thirteen-year-old Jameela has just become the features editor for her school’s newspaper. She’s determined to impress her dad with her first story. At the same time, a family friend’s nephew, Ali moves from the UK to Atlanta. As Jam and Ali’s friendship blossoms, one of her sisters receives devastating news about her health. This is a heartwarming, charming middle-grade novel about sisterhood, family, and following your passion. Grades 5+

When Orion Kwirk’s grandfather, Papa Kwirk, dies, his quirky family piles into their car to attend the funeral. But what a shocker when they discover that there’s no body in the casket and Papa Kwirk has left them clues to find his cremated remains. As they embark on the adventure, they learn a lot about each other, their family, and, of course, Papa Kwirk. This is a sweet, funny book with lots of insightful commentary about life, better appreciated by readers in grades 6 and up.

A Place to Hang the Moon follows three orphaned kids in England during the WWII evacuation. Orphans William, Edmund, and Anna (aged 12, 11, and 9) are evacuated after their (not nice) grandmother dies. Instructed not to disclose how well off their family is until they find a new family that feels like a forever family, the kids are placed with several poorly matched families. Through it all, the children take solace in each other, stories from William about their parents, and their love of books and the town library. This a heartwarming, immersive middle-grade debut, perfect for fans of The War That Saved My Life (but far less traumatic). Grades 4+

This charming illustrated book about a robot who ends up in the wild and survives by building community and caring for others is heartwarming but also surprisingly suspenseful and full of adventure. Soon to be a major motion picture, this would make a delightful classroom readaloud for 3rd and 4th graders.

Kids love this beloved classic inspired by a true story. It’s about a gorilla who lives in an enclosed glass cage in a mall. At first, Ivan is content with his quarters — for over 20 years. But when a baby elephant is brought into the enclosure, Ivan starts to remember his home and sees his current home as the captivity that it is. This is a sweet and moving verse novel for young readers. Grades 3+