It's summer on 141st Street, and Isa, Jessie, Oliver, Hyacinth, and Laney can't wait for camping trips, bike rides, and all the fun summer has to offer. Most of all, they're looking forward to Papa's surprise fortieth birthday party, which they've been planning for months. But when Papa must leave town suddenly to help his best friend, trouble in theform of their distant grandparents shows up on their doorstep. Not only must the Vanderbeekers face the disappointment of ruined plans, but they have more than one family secret to solve if they are going to give Papa the special birthday he deserves. Witness the power of family history and family love in this funny, poignant addition to a series the New York Times Book Review hails as "delightful and heartwarming."
The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically a member of the family. So, when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded landlord just how wonderful they are... and all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.
