Something Upstairs

Something Upstairs

Company type	Novel
Industry	Literature
Founded	September 1, 1988 (1988-09-01)
Founder	Avi
Products	Historical thriller novel for young adults

Something Upstairs (also released under the title Something Upstairs: A Tale of Ghosts) is a 1988 historical thriller novel targeted at young adults, written by Avi. The narrative centers on 12-year-old Kenny Huldorf, who relocates to a new residence and encounters the spirit of Caleb, a former slave bound to the house until his death is avenged. Kenny embarks on a journey through time to identify Caleb’s killer, confronting the challenge of choosing between returning to his own era or rescuing his spectral companion. This work has earned multiple accolades in children's literature.

Plot summary

After moving from Los Angeles to Providence, Rhode Island, Kenny Huldorf takes up residence in a house dating back to 1789, which contains an enigmatic attic room. One evening, he meets the ghost of Caleb, who attempts to flee from a bloodstain on the floor. Caleb was a slave who had been murdered within the home and remains trapped as a lingering memory until justice is served. Seeking answers, Kenny consults local historian Pardon Willinghast and verifies the presence of Caleb’s blood through chemical testing.

Unexpectedly, Kenny is transported back in time, where he observes slave traders conspiring to intimidate local Black inhabitants. He discovers that Caleb’s death was officially recorded as a suicide, a claim Caleb vehemently denies. Together, they aim to alter historical events but face resistance from Willinghast, who reveals himself as the murderer and warns Kenny that interfering might cause him to become a ghost as well.

As tensions escalate with threats from an angry mob, Kenny and Caleb strive to survive and formulate a plan. Willinghast proposes a dark ultimatum: kill Caleb to preserve the timeline and allow Kenny’s return home. Rejecting this, Kenny and Caleb stage Caleb’s death using his own blood and trick Willinghast into revealing his true nature. Kenny fires a shot but awakens in the present day, where the bloodstain has vanished and historical records now state Willinghast committed suicide while Caleb disappeared.

Kenny remains uncertain whether Caleb has truly been freed or continues trapped somewhere as an echo of the past.

Characters

Kenny Huldorf

A twelve-year-old boy who relocates from Los Angeles to Providence, Rhode Island. Haunted by Caleb’s ghost, Kenny agrees to assist in uncovering his murderer by traveling back in time. He uncovers that slave traders are attempting to intimidate abolitionists, which led to Caleb’s demise. Faced with Willinghast’s blackmail, Kenny must choose between killing Caleb to return home or saving him and becoming trapped as a ghost himself.

Caleb

A sixteen-year-old enslaved boy from 1800 who now exists as a ghost bound to the house. Murdered in the attic during his masters’ absence, he initially distrusts Kenny but accompanies him back in time where he appears alive and free from his bloodstain.

Pardon Willinghast

A present-day historian who was formerly a slave trader in 1800. Though initially cooperative, he later admits orchestrating Caleb’s murder to ensure historical events proceed unchanged.

Moses Brown

An abolitionist from the eighteenth century who leaves an emblem on a wall symbolizing his dedication to ending slavery.

Esek Ormsbee

A slave trader who enlists Kenny to deliver a message regarding a meeting with Mr. Seagrave.

Philip Seagrave

Slave trader involved in meetings with Ormsbee and Willinghast; his residence bears Moses Brown’s abolitionist mark.

Avi

The author presents the story as derived from Kenny’s firsthand account shared during a visit.

Conception

Avi considers Something Upstairs the initial installment of his trilogy set in Providence, drawing inspiration from his relocation from Los Angeles to Providence and his stay at 30 Sheldon Street, a residence dating back to the 1830s. When questioned about the story’s authenticity, Avi remarks that it is “true if you believe in time travel and ghosts,” highlighting faith in ghost narratives rather than the existence of ghosts themselves.

Publication

The hardcover edition of Something Upstairs: A Tale of Ghosts debuted through Orchard Books on September 1, 1988. Beginning with the 1990 paperback release, the title was shortened to Something Upstairs. Following Orchard Books’ acquisition by Scholastic, a paperback version was issued in 2010. Notable publication details include:

Release date	Publisher	Format	Pages	ISBN
September 1988	Orchard Books	hardcover	120pp	Template:ISBNT
October 1990	HarperCollins	mass-market paperback	128pp	Template:ISBNT
1992	Recorded Books	audio cassette	3 tapes	Template:ISBNT
July 2010	Scholastic Press	mass-market paperback	140pp	Template:ISBNT

Legacy

The Rhode Island Historical Society organizes the Avi Tour, which features sites and waterfront areas in Providence that appear in the novel.

Awards

• Selected as one of the Best Books of the Year by the Library of Congress in 1989
• Finalist for Best Juvenile Mystery by the Mystery Writers of America in 1989
• Recipient of the Rhode Island Children's Book Award in 1991
• Honored with the Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award in 1992
• Recognized as an ALA Notable Recording in 1992 (Recorded Books, Inc.)
• Winner of the California Young Reader Medal, Middle School/Junior High category, in 1993
• Included in YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list in 1999

External links

• – Michael A. Sommers’ biography, Chapter 6 of Pages Out of History, explores Something Upstairs