The Journey Back

Johanna Reiss's "The Journey Back" is the powerful, autobiographical sequel to her Newbery Honor book, "The Upstairs Room." It follows 13-year-old Annie as she leaves years of hiding from the Nazis and returns to her war-ravaged Dutch town. The war may be over, but Annie's struggle is far from finished; she faces the immense challenge of rebuilding her life, processing her trauma, and striving to reunite her family, which has been deeply affected by the conflict. This middle-grade novel offers a poignant look at the courage required not just to survive war, but to live in its aftermath, making it an excellent choice for discussions on resilience, family, and historical events for readers aged 8-12.

The moving sequel to the Newbery Honor book, The Upstairs Room. After years of hiding from the Nazis during World War II, Annie is told the war is over and she must return home. Despite all odds she has survived the war, but can she save her family from being ripped apart when she returns back to her war-ravaged town. In this fascinating autobiographical account, Johanna Reiss shows us that sometimes real courage isn't displayed in battle, it's displayed by a thirteen-year old learning to survive in the aftermath of war.