Karina Yan Glaser’s The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden (2018) is the second installment in the author’s bestselling middle grade series about a large, multiracial family living in a Harlem brownstone. The novel follows the Vanderbeeker siblings as they rally to create a community garden in a derelict lot. Drawing on her own experiences as a Harlem resident, Glaser grounds the series in an authentic, vivid neighborhood setting. The book was a New York Times bestseller and a Junior Library Guild Selection, continuing the critical success of the series, whose first book, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street (2017), was a New York Times Notable Children’s Book.

The novel engages with the real-world history of grassroots urban renewal, echoing New York City’s community garden movement, which began in the 1970s as a response to urban decay. The children’s struggle against developers mirrors the ongoing battle to protect community spaces from the pressures of gentrification. The story explores how Healing Through Shared Labor and Goals, showing the garden project as a therapeutic outlet for the children and a catalyst for the recovery of their reclusive landlord. Through the collaborative effort that draws in friends and neighbors, the book champions The Power of Community Action as a defense against commercial development and highlights Nature as a Unifying Force, illustrating how cultivating a green space can revitalize a neighborhood and strengthen its residents’ bonds.

This guide is based on the 2018 Clarion Books edition.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of illness, child death, and death.

Plot Summary

Summer vacation begins in Harlem, and Oliver Vanderbeeker is already bored. His older sister Isa is away at a prestigious orchestra camp, and Jessie, her twin, has a new phone to stay in touch with her. When the remaining Vanderbeeker children visit their upstairs neighbors, Miss Josie and her husband Mr. Jeet, Miss Josie suggests that the siblings who are still at home—12-year-old Jessie, 9-year-old Oliver, 7-year-old Hyacinth, and 5-year-old Laney—transform a derelict, ivy-choked lot next to the local church into a community garden. The children dismiss the idea, frightened by rumors that the lot is haunted. 

Their lives are upended moments later when Oliver gets into a heated argument with Jessie over her new phone. The stress causes Mr. Jeet, who is still recovering from a stroke, to collapse. He is rushed to the hospital, and the family learns he has suffered a second, more serious stroke, leaving him unable to speak and facing a long recovery.

Wracked with guilt, Oliver rallies his sisters to build the garden for Mr. Jeet and Miss Josie as a welcome-home gift. Although Hyacinth and Laney are still fearful, they agree. The children approach the church pastor, Triple J, who seems supportive, but he is distracted and directs them to the church treasurer, Mr. Huxley. Mr. Huxley, the father of Oliver’s irritating classmate Herman, flatly denies their request, citing liability concerns. 

Undeterred, the children investigate the lot and discover a combination lock on the gate, which Oliver manages to open. Inside, they find a wasteland of weeds and garbage, including an old toilet and bathtub, but they see its potential. Their project becomes a secret mission, especially after Triple J leaves town to care for his injured brother. The siblings pool their money to buy tools from Hiba’s Hardware, where the owner, Hiba, donates a linden tree that Hyacinth christens Tilia of the Eternal Spring. The children’s resolve is hardened when they sneak into the hospital and see a frail, unresponsive Mr. Jeet, making them more determined than ever to create a healing space for him.

A run-in with Herman Huxley, who owns the exact mountain bike Oliver has been saving for, only fuels Oliver’s animosity. Oliver is jealous of Herman, who has enough money to buy whatever he wants; Herman doesn’t have to do chores and small jobs to earn money.

The Vanderbeekers, now joined by their friend Angie, begin the arduous task of clearing the lot. Angie tells them about a large stash of unused soil in her apartment building’s courtyard. She believes it has been abandoned, and the children laboriously transport 84 bags of soil to their garden. Angie’s father, Mr. Smiley, is the building superintendent, and when he discovers the theft, he sentences the children to sort his building’s recycling for the rest of the summer. 

The garden project soon attracts more help, including Mr. Jeet’s grandnephew Orlando, who has just moved back to Harlem, and Benjamin from the local bakery. While working, Laney unearths a small wooden box inscribed with the name “Luciana.” They realize that it belonged to the deceased daughter of their reclusive landlord, Mr. Beiderman, who went to preschool at the church. Inside are crumbling, decades-old seeds. The children decide to keep the discovery from Mr. Beiderman, fearing it would dredge up painful memories. 

Their secret project is jeopardized when they overhear Mr. Huxley finalizing a deal to sell the lot to condominium developers, with a closing date just days after their planned “Garden Extravaganza,” when they will reveal the garden to Miss Josie and Mr. Jeet. With Triple J unreachable, the children feel hopeless until Isa advises them over the phone to make the garden so beautiful that no one would dare destroy it. One day, however, they arrive at the garden to discover seedlings trampled and pink surveying flags dotting the land, confirming the developers’ intent.

Reinvigorated, the children redouble their efforts. A mysterious benefactor leaves a collection of lavender, roses, and a small tree by the gate, each with an inspirational quote attached. Oliver realizes the donor is Herman, who sold his new bike to afford the expensive plants. The act of generosity softens Oliver’s heart, and the two boys form a friendship. 

On a visit to the hospital, Laney smuggles in her rabbit, Paganini. The ensuing chaos results in a security guard slipping and falling, but the sight of the rabbit makes Mr. Jeet laugh and speak for the first time since his stroke, marking a turning point in his recovery. The joy is short-lived, as the next day the children find a “SOLD” sign on the garden gate, secured with an industrial lock and topped with new barbed wire. Panicked, they turn to Mr. Beiderman, revealing everything about the garden and showing him Luciana’s box. 

Moved by the discovery and their dedication, Mr. Beiderman agrees to help. Jessie mentions the neighborhood rumor that the church and lot were a stop on the Underground Railroad. Mr. Beiderman calls a friend at the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to see if she can save the property. He learns they must file paperwork in person before the office closes at 5 pm. In a momentous step, Mr. Beiderman leaves the brownstone for the first time in six years, but their subway train gets stuck in a tunnel. They arrive downtown too late, their last hope seemingly extinguished.

The next morning, Mr. Jeet and Miss Josie return home from the hospital. The Vanderbeekers find a crowd gathered at the garden gate, including a furious Mr. Huxley and a newly returned Triple J. As Mr. Huxley defends the sale as financially necessary for the church, Mr. Beiderman appears, striding confidently down the street. He reveals that he went out again on his own and presents meticulously researched proof of the land’s historical significance as a stop on the Underground Railroad. He announces that a judge has issued a cease-and-desist order on the sale, saving the garden. 

The children’s Uncle Arthur arrives with a bolt cutter and opens the gate, revealing the transformed space to the astonished Mr. Jeet and Miss Josie. Inside, they discover a miracle: Luciana’s seeds, 18 years old, have sprouted into a vivid patch of black-eyed Susans. The final surprise is a lavender maze with a motion-activated sound system that plays a recording of Isa’s orchestra performing Luciana’s favorite piece. Three months later, the garden thrives as The Josie and Jeet Community Garden, a beloved neighborhood hub celebrating its first harvest festival.