The Upstairs Room (rack) [Paperback]

Johanna Reiss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 1987

A Life in Hiding

When the German army occupied Holland, Annie de Leeuw was eight years old. Because she was Jewish, the occupation put her in grave danger-she knew that to stay alive she would have to hide. Fortunately, a Gentile family, the Oostervelds, offered to help. For two years they hid Annie and her sister, Sini, in the cramped upstairs room of their farmhouse.

Most people thought the war wouldn't last long. But for Annie and Sini -- separated from their family and confined to one tiny room -- the war seemed to go on forever.

In the part of the marketplace where flowers had been sold twice a week-tulips in the spring, roses in the summer-stood German tanks and German soldiers. Annie de Leeuw was eight years old in 1940 when the Germans attacked Holland and marched into the town of Winterswijk where she lived. Annie was ten when, because she was Jewish and in great danger of being cap-tured by the invaders, she and her sister Sini had to leave their father, mother, and older sister Rachel to go into hiding in the upstairs room of a remote farmhouse.
Johanna de Leeuw Reiss has written a remarkably fresh and moving account of her own experiences as a young girl during World War II. Like many adults she was innocent of the German plans for Jews, and she might have gone to a labor camp as scores of families did. "It won't be for long and the Germans have told us we'll be treated well," those families said. "What can happen?" They did not know, and they could not imagine.... But millions of Jews found out.
Mrs. Reiss's picture of the Oosterveld family with whom she lived, and of Annie and Sini, reflects a deep spirit of optimism, a faith in the ingenuity, backbone, and even humor with which ordinary human beings meet extraordinary challenges. In the steady, matter-of-fact, day-by-day courage they all showed lies a profound strength that transcends the horrors of the long and frightening war. Here is a memorable book, one that will be read and reread for years to come.

1973 Newbery Honor Book
Notable Children's Books of 1971–1975 (ALA)
Best Books of 1972 (SLJ)
Outstanding Children's Books of 1972 (NYT)
1973 Jane Addams Award Honor Book
Children's Books of 1972 (Library of Congress)
The Buxtehude Bulla Prize 1976 (German Award for Outstanding Children's Book Promoting Peace)
1972 Jewish Book Council Children's Book Award

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this Newbery Honor book, Reiss writes a stirring, fictionalized account of her own experiences as a Jewish girl during World War II. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-The deLeeuw family, Dutch Jews, did not emigrate to the U.S. in time to escape the German Holocaust. However, friends kept them hidden during those turbulent years and they did survive the War. As presented in Johanna Reiss' novel, based on her own experiences in Holland during World War II, (HarperCollins, 1972), Annie, the young first person narrator, and her older sister must live in an upstairs bedroom belonging to a rough but sympathetic farmer and his family. Christina Moore capably uses a youthful voice to portray Annie. While she does not assume a false accent, she is able to read the Dutch names and the few Dutch words without hesitation. She makes slight voice changes for the different characters, and effectively portrays a variety of emotions. She changes speed frequently so that the tape does not become monotonous. An excellent choice to present the Holocaust to younger readers.
Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (July 17, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064470431
• ISBN-13: 978-0064470438
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,127,330 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > Other
  • #83 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Holocaust
  • #94 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Jewish

More About the Author

JOHANNA REISS is the author of A Hidden Life: A Memoir of August 1969 and the classic young adult title The Upstairs Room, which Elie Wiesel praised in The New York Times Book Review as an "admirable account . . . as important in every respect as the one bequeathed to us by Anne Frank." She is the winner of the Newbery Honor, the Jewish Book Council Children's Book Award, and the Buxtehuder Bulle. She lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Upstairs Room, January 18, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Upstairs Room (Trophy Newbery) (Paperback)

In class I was assigned to read The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss. The story takes place during the Holocaust in the city of Usselo, Holland. The main character is Annie. She is a small girl with dark hair. She has two sisters and her mother gets very sick. I have also read the book Parallel Journeys by Eleanor Ayer, with quotes from Alfons Heck, a German soldier, and Helen Waterford, a Jew. Both Parallel Journeys and The Upstairs Room are about the Holocaust and what it was like to be a Jew. I feel that the message of The Upstiars Room was to treat all people equal. During the Holocaust, Hitler hated the Jews and was killing them. The Jews had to hide so that they would not be killed, but if they were found, they would be sent to work or extermination camps. Hitler established the Hitler Youth in which there were ranks. If you got to the top of the ranks, you would then be moved to the German army. I think The Upstairs Room is an excellent book. It was very exciting. It made me imagine myself as Annie. I think Johanna Reiss did a good job telling the story as Annie. I would recommend this book to girls from grades six and up because there was some language inappropriate for young childrenand some boys that read The Upstairs Room told me that it was a girl's book. I hope this book review helps you decide if you want to read The Upstairs Room.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, April 26, 2004

By 

Melissa Fos (Baton Rouge) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Upstairs Room (Trophy Newbery) (Paperback)

The Upstairs Room is an excellent book about Jews hiding during WWII. The main character is Annie de Leeuw. She was a nine-year-old Jewish girl living in Holland. Slowly Annie and her family were forced to quit school and their jobs. The loss of freedom destroyed Annie's spirit. She longed to be able to see her friends and play outside. The de Leeuw's decided to hide when they realized the Nazi's would be taking them to concentration camps. The entire family could not hide in the same location, so they split up. Annie's mother was ill, so she remained in a hospital. Annie and her sister, Sini, hid upstairs in the Oosterveld's farmhouse. Her father and sister, Raquel, stayed with a retired minister. Annie and Sini were cramped in a very small space, which was incredibly cold in the winter. The girls often spent many days in bed to keep warm. Annie was often forced to walk back and forth across the room to strengthen her legs because they began to grow irregularly. The girls had to hide in a closet for days on end when Nazi soldiers used the Oosterveld's house as an office. The Oosterveld's took excellent care of Annie and Sini and became quite attached. The entire time spent in the room was stressful and depressing for the girls. They were only allowed to go outside a few times during the their time in hiding. Annie and her family hid for two years before they could return to their home. The sacrifice the Oosterveld's made to save the girls is incredibly moving. The strength and perseverance Annie and Sini possess will inspire readers for years to come.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you have to read this!!!, September 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Upstairs Room (Trophy Newbery) (Paperback)

This book was fabulous! It's definately one of the best Holocaust books out there. It has great character development and a very suspenseful plot. Also the first person perspective tells the story in a whole new way. The book is about a Jewish family, the deLeeuws, from holland, who tries to go into hiding. While the germans are throwing people out of their homes, Annie who is six and her older sister Sini hide. at the same time their mother is terribly sick and their other sister Rachel stays to take care of her. Later in the book Annie and Sini hide in the Oostervelds, a simple Gentile farming family. the story unfolds into a wonderful relationship between the deLeeuws and the Oostervelds. this book is a must! Read it and learn what some people will do to save a life. I couldent put it down and i'm sure you wont either.