The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

Mr. Beiderman calls Papa and angrily explains the petition and unwanted deliveries. Allegra gave out his phone number to the neighbors, and he received so many phone calls asking him to allow the Vanderbeekers to stay that he had to disconnect his phone. Papa apologizes and promises Mr. Beiderman that he will speak to the children and that their antics will cease. The children overhear the phone call and know they are in trouble. They confess to everything including turning away the possible tenant. Papa expresses his empathy for how difficult the move has been for the children but proclaims his disappointment in their reckless behavior and tells the children that along with extra chores, they will each write a letter of apology to Mr. Beiderman and promise to leave him be. Everyone is sorry and Isa bursts into tears, as she feels she failed, and she “felt the weight of failure hang heavy on her” (231). Mama and Papa gather all the children into a group hug.

After finishing the letters, they deliver them to Mr. Beiderman’s door and add to it Mr. Rochester’s business card with a note saying he is the best candidate to rent the brownstone. Uncle Arthur and Auntie Harrigan arrive for the Christmas dinner, but Auntie notices the glum mood of the children and asks them what’s wrong. After they explain the situation, Auntie Harrigan tells them that she is proud of them for trying to do something nice for another person. Isa and Jessie are still not speaking but finish the meal preparations while Laney practices Paganini’s tricks. Since their home is full of boxes, they decide to move the dinner to Miss Josie’s and Mr. Jeet’s apartment. On the way out, Uncle Arthur tastes the twins’ beef stew and must spit it out because it is too salty. Oliver is thankful they at least have the bread from Castleman’s.

As the twins change for dinner in silence, Jessie tries to think of a way to solve the conflict between her and her sister. She regrets all the harsh words they exchanged and looks around their shared room and remembers all the happy memories they have together. Jessie knows she can’t fix all their problems, but she will try to fix the rift with Benny.

A fierce wind blows outside as Mr. Van Hooten arrives for dinner. Each guest brought a dish to contribute to the meal, and Auntie Harrigan adds water and extra broth to fix the over-salted stew. The food is delicious, but a gloomy pall hangs over the table as everyone knows it is their last Christmas together in the brownstone. After dinner, Laney and Mr. Jeet entertain the guests with Paganini’s tricks, which include jumping through a knitting hoop and playing a tiny piano. Everyone applauds and Laney is overjoyed with all the attention. The guests clap and shout for an encore but soon hear loud banging from overhead. Miss Josie says Mr. Beiderman often bangs on the floor when they are making too much noise. Everyone is shocked at the cruel behavior, and Mr. Van Hooten says, “Did you say Beiderman?” (244). Isa springs from the table, grabs her violin, bounds up the stairs, and bangs on the door. As soon as the haggard Mr. Beiderman answers the door, Isa begins to play “Les Furies” pouring all her anger, frustration, and heartache into the music. Once she feels her anger leaving, she begins playing a softer tune called “The Swan.” Isa loses herself in the music, but when she stops playing, she sees Mr. Beiderman crying. He simply says, “I’m sorry” (247) and closes the door.

When Isa returns, everyone is in awe of her bravery, and Mr. Van Hooten weeps saying that he wished she played like that at rehearsal. Isa finds Jessie hiding on the fire escape and they look at the water wall, which has been damaged by the windstorm. Isa tells Jessie that she just wants to understand why she told Benny she wouldn’t want to go with him to the dance. Jessie confesses that she didn’t mean any harm, but she was already sad to lose the brownstone and feared she might lose Isa too. The sisters reconcile and Jessie promises to clean Isa’s bathroom for three months as penance.

Everyone reconvenes at the table to finish the meal and Papa delivers a moving toast, thanking his neighbors for being such a beautiful part of his children’s lives. Everyone cries and Laney walks around the table and hugs each guest and family member. The children are sad that Operation Beiderman failed, but in the process, they came to a greater appreciation for how much their community means to the family and that no matter where they live, they will always have one another. As he is leaving, Mr. Van Hooten pulls Isa aside and tells her that Mr. Beiderman’s daughter Luciana was his student, and that the violin Isa plays once belonged to her. Isa feels terrible for playing it in front of Mr. Beiderman, realizing that seeing and hearing it again probably caused him pain. Jessie says, “I spend so much time avoiding him, and now all I want to do is make him feel better” (256). The children empathize with Mr. Beiderman now that they better understand why he is so angry. Later, as Isa lies in bed on her last Christmas Eve in the brownstone, she gazes over every familiar part of her room, committing it to memory.

On Christmas morning, Oliver awakens before everyone else and sees many packages with his name on them, including one he knows contains the Lord of the Rings trilogy and a handmade gift from Hyacinth. He feels guilty for the paltry gifts he cobbled together for his sisters and races back to his room with an idea. The rest of the family awakens, and the children demand to open gifts before breakfast. Oliver asks everyone to open his gifts first, and the entire family is shocked to find that Oliver has created custom IOU cards personalized for each family member. Laney has a coupon for reading time, and the twins’ card promises that Oliver will not tease them for a month. Oliver gifted Mama and Papa his services at the soup kitchen and help with yard work, and to Hyacinth, he gives two heart-shaped buttons and a coupon for two hours of button viewing. The rest of the family opens their gifts, including Papa, who got a new set of coveralls from Mama, which he puts on right over his pajamas. For their parents, the children framed Laney’s sketch of the growth chart on the wall, which brings Mama to tears.

While the family makes breakfast, Benny arrives with fresh cookies and pastries. He asks Isa to go on a walk and apologizes for his behavior. Jessie called him and explained everything. He tells Isa he’s always thought she was beautiful and asks her to be his date for the eighth-grade dance, and Isa knows she will never forget this moment. They return to the brownstone and invite Benny and his parents to breakfast. Laney and Hyacinth ruined the pancakes, so they are glad to have the Castleman’s treats. Franz begins acting strangely, and Hyacinth thinks he wants their food, but he pulls on her shirt and drags her towards the door. Outside the door is a box with the kitten she gifted Mr. Beiderman and a note asking her to come to visit him.

Hyacinth calls an Operation Biederman meeting in the hallway. She shows them the note, and all the children are shocked that she gave the Beiderman a kitten. Before they realize it, Laney bangs on his door announcing their arrival. Mr. Beiderman answers the door looking far less scary than the first time Hyacinth saw him. He kindly invites them inside his apartment, which is decorated with all the gifts they gave him, and he is playing Isa’s CD. Mr. Beiderman’s walls are covered in paintings that feature a young girl. Mr. Beiderman apologizes for everything, and Isa tells him they are sorry that he lost his family. Mr. Beiderman explains that he overheard Isa playing Luciana’s favorite song on the violin and felt like he could not bear to have them live there anymore. He made all the paintings of his daughter because he misses her and his wife so much. Laney asks if they can be friends, and Oliver apologizes for his note. They invite Mr. Beiderman to Christmas breakfast, and he claims he can’t leave his apartment, but the children drag him downstairs.

Mama and Papa are shocked to see Mr. Beiderman in their kitchen, but quickly offer him refreshments and introduce him to everyone at the table. Mr. Beiderman tells the family that he wants them to stay in the brownstone. He asks Isa to visit him and play the violin and for Hyacinth to help him care for the kitten, which Laney has named “Princess Cutie” (284). Miss Josie and Mr. Jeet arrive, and a huge celebration ensues. Word quickly spreads down the block, and soon neighbors appear at the door to join the jubilation. Allegra arrives in a fancy dress and tells Benny that he must buy Isa an “amaranth pink” (285) corsage and find a date for Jessie, but Jessie says no thank you. The house is filled with neighbors joyously celebrating the Vanderbeekers. Once everyone leaves, the family stands outside the brownstone admiring the home they love so much happy that they can stay.

Benny arrives to pick up Isa for the dance. He has the hot pink flower and is wearing sneakers. Mr. Beiderman sticks his head out of the brownstone window to inquire about his intentions. He half-jokingly warns Benny not to try any “funny stuff.” One by one, the other neighbors stick their heads out the window as Isa walks out of the door, a vision in her dress. All the neighbors wish them well as they drive away to the dance.