Dickens & Rumi

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Something Upstairs

Avi · 1988

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for Something Upstairs by Avi. This book is content notes include Death of a character, Frightening scenes, Violence; positive qualities include Courage & resilience, Creativity & curiosity.

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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Death of a character4/5
  • Frightening scenes4/5
  • Violence4/5

Strongest positives

  • Courage & resilience5/5
  • Creativity & curiosity4/5
  • Diverse representation4/5

What’s in it?

Death of a character4/5
Why this rating?

Caleb was murdered, a mob member is shot, and the story repeatedly centers on whether Caleb must be killed and what happens after death.

Graphic injury2/5
Why this rating?

Blood is used as evidence and to fake Caleb's death, but graphic wounds and extended gore are not emphasized in the supplied plot.

Strong language1/5
Why this rating?

The material includes hostile and historically racist language related to slavery and violence, but no pattern of profanity is indicated.

Frightening scenes4/5
Why this rating?

A ghost appears in an attic, children face supernatural entrapment, historical violence, a threatening mob, and the possibility of remaining a ghost.

Alcohol or drugs1/5
Why this rating?

An angry drunken mob is mentioned, indicating alcohol use in a violent historical context rather than recreational focus.

Violence4/5
Why this rating?

A mob attacks people, a house is set on fire, Caleb is struck with a rock, and shootings and coercion to kill are central to the plot.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience5/5
Why this rating?

Kenny repeatedly faces a ghost, violent historical actors, a mob, and threats of permanent entrapment while trying to save Caleb.

Creativity & curiosity4/5
Why this rating?

The imaginative premise combines ghosts, time travel, historical mystery, altered events, and inventive problem-solving to challenge injustice.

Diverse representation4/5
Why this rating?

A Black enslaved boy is a central, individualized character whose history, agency, and injustice drive the narrative; the story also addresses racial oppression directly.

Educational value4/5
Why this rating?

The plot engages directly with slavery, slave trading, racism, historical memory, and the Gaspee-era setting through a fictional thriller.

Kindness & empathy3/5
Why this rating?

Kenny helps Caleb seek justice and freedom, and their friendship supports cooperation, though the surrounding world contains severe cruelty.

Positive messages4/5
Why this rating?

The story emphasizes confronting historical injustice, resisting coercion, protecting others, questioning official accounts, and making morally difficult choices.

Good role models4/5
Why this rating?

Kenny shows loyalty, investigative persistence, empathy, and courage, though he is placed in dangerous situations and must make difficult compromises.

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Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What did courage look like in this story? Was being brave always the same as being fearless?
  2. How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
  3. Which choice in Something Upstairs would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in Something Upstairs, and what caused that change?
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