Johanna Reiss. The Upstairs Room
Scholastic  $7.99  ISBN 0-590-44067-5  179 pg.
Reviewed by Whitney, Age 12

I should’ve remembered how long days were, though. But she had forced me to do something that drastic. Nobody could push me around and not get punished.

Annie really likes her life. She has two beautiful older sisters, a mother, and a father. Annie’s family is Jewish and isn’t worried about the war. Her parents think that the Nazis won’t get to the town of Winterswijk (where they live) before the war ends, but Annie thinks different. She is afraid that Hitler will take her family away. Annie’s family starts to get the message when Jews aren’t allowed into certain places and aren’t allowed to travel. Annie’s mother falls very ill and has to stay in the hospital. Her family is forced to go into hiding. Will Annie ever see her mother again and will she ever be able to come out of hiding?

The Upstairs Room was written by Johanna Reiss. Johanna based this book on what she went through during World War II and the Holocaust. She also wrote a book about how her family coped with life after World War II. It was called The Journey Home. The Upstairs Room also won a Newbery Honor Award.

I quite liked reading this book. I was really shocked that somebody went through an ordeal like this, and then wrote a book about it. I would have wanted to forget what had happened. I guess she just wanted to get the message out to everyone that what happened to millions of people should never be forgotten. The way she described how she felt and how her family felt, was very helpful for me to really understand what the people went through during the Holocaust.

I really think people will enjoy reading The Upstairs Room and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.