The Tide in the Attic

by Aleid Van Rhijn

This book of juvenile historical literature concerns characters and stories surrounding the actual events during the February 1953 flood of Holland that killed 1794 people and cost $280,000,000 in damages.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Historical Fiction

127 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sister surprised me with a copy of this book that my beloved fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Bynum, read to us aloud. I loved having her read the book to us and never forgot the suspense -- and even terror -- that the entire class shared with the Wielemaker family during the prolonged storm and the resulting rising waters.
Written in 1959 and translated into English in 1961, it was a Weekly Reader Children's Book Club selection in 1962 (showing my age!)
I loved it then, and loved it now. Even though I knew the family would survive, I relived their struggles, fear, cold, and physical pain with them.
I'm so grateful to my sister for finding this book for me again. What an unexpected and delightful treat!

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a child and, as I recall, couldn't put it down. I just had to find out if they'd be rescued from the flood! This is another one of those books I should re-read now that I'm an adult.

[Mommalibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weekly Reader Children's Book Club

[Barbara Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this in fifth grade. The images were vivid enough to have stayed with me all these years (I'm in my early 60s).

[Carrie Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF BOOKS THAT I READ AS A CHILD THAT I REALY LOVED. THIS IS ONE OF THEM. I GOT THIS AS A BOOK CLUB CHOICE AND IT WAS GREAT. I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER IT ALL BUT I REMEMBER THAT THE KIDS WERE IN AN ATTIC IN HOLLAND, I THINK, DURING A MASSIVE FLOODING EVENT. IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 50 YEARS SINXE I READ THIS.

[Rachel B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay if you're really interested in learning about how it must have been for those in the midst of the Holland flooding in the 1950s. It was a bit repetitive and dragged for me. There were a few funny moments, but it was mostly a play-by-play, so it wasn't the best read-aloud choice.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tide In The Attic is a serious juvenile novel written in 1959, and as such I give it 4 stars. It's about a family trying to survive the real life flood and storm in Holland in 1953, in the attic and on the roof of their farmhouse as the water flooded first the ground floor and then upstairs, forcing them onto the roof in the storm. As an adult reader I found it a fast, easy read, adequately suspenseful to keep my attention, and informative about the conditions and hardships the family experienced.

[Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book purchased through the 1962 Weekly Reader book club in elementary school for my older brother and then passed on to me. Don't know if I ever read it as a child, but an interesting and well-written account of the 1952 flood in the Netherlands following one family's circumstances.