The Story of Anne Frank. by Rachel A. Koestler-Grack. Chelsea Clubhouse, 2004. 32 pages.
Review/Personal thoughts: I don’t think that anyone would argue with the statement that Anne Frank was an “ordinary girl whose extraordinary diary inspired the world.” In this book, tweens are given an introduction to the life of Anne Frank. This book does not focus on the contents of her diary (which has been published in 67 languages), but on her life in Germany, the Netherlands and finally a German concentration camp. Anne was born on June 12, 1929 in Germany. Her family was Jewish. She was three years old when the leader of the Nazi Party, Adolf Hitler, became the ruler of Germany. Anne’s father was an astute businessman and quickly realized that the anti-Jewish laws Hitler began to enact were putting his family in danger and they fled to the safety of the Netherlands. Things seemed safe and the family enjoyed life with Anne’s father starting a new successful business and Anne and her sister making many friends at school. Six years later the German army invaded the Netherlands and began enacting the same anti-Jewish laws that were in effect in Germany. Jews were stripped of rights and segregated. In 1942 a letter came for Anne’s sister Margo to report to the Nazi police to be sent to a German labor camp. Anne’s father acted quickly and immediately moved his family into hiding in a secret room behind an office building where they remained for two years. It is in this setting that the bulk of Anne’s powerful diary was written. In 1944 the family was betrayed and the Nazi police captured the entire family and shipped them off to concentration camps. The last time Anne saw her father was when they were separated at the camp. The book goes on to tell the powerful story of what Anne’s fate was to be. An excellent layout of graphics, photographs, and historical events of the time make this an outstanding introduction to the life of a courageous young girl.
Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography
Reading Level: 5.5 Interest level: Ages 8 to 11.
