The Upstairs Room

Review by Nathan:

The upstairs room by Johanna Reiss is about two sisters who are Jewish and hide from the Nazis in Holland.  Annie and Sini stay at one house for a little while then move to a farm house.  In the second house the Nazis make offices downstairs while Annie and Sini hide upstairs.  The sisters have to deal with the danger and not get too fed up with each other. Annie is developing Muscle Atrophy and she will not do any exercises. 

I like how they are brave, most of the time.  This book gives lots of details which I like.  The farmers they stayed with were often funny.  I think the author wrote this book to inform and to make you think what it would be like if it was you were hiding from the Nazis.

Review by Grace:

The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss is about a Jewish family in Holland. Two of the three sisters have to hide in an old farmhouse from the German soldiers that would send them to concentration camps. I think this book helps us learn the various ways Jews suffered during the war. Though this book taught me a few things, I would not care to read it again.     

Note to Parents:  Preview this book before allowing a child to read it independently.  This was a read aloud for us and I skipped over a few choice words used in dialogue.  The themes of the Jews and WWII were handled sensitively in this book.