Books with author Johanna Reiss

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.

For the last two years, the radio news has brought trouble to eight-year-old Annie de Leeuw's home. When Father hears how Hitler is treating the Jews, he wants to move the family to America. Mother argues they will be safe in Holland. Then she notices Annie and sends her from the room. One May night in 1940, Annie wakes to the sound of planes passing overhead. The Germans have come! When her friends begin to disappear, Father says the family must hide. Suddenly Annie and her older sister find themselves with strangers in a faraway village-and they can't leave the upstairs bedroom. As the weeks turn into months, Annie wonders if being safe really is worth living in a tiny room. Johanna Reiss bases this absorbing tale on her own experiences as a young girl in Holland during World War II.