The compelling diary of a young girl on the brink of maturity as her life draws to toward its tragic end -- one of the most moving and vivid documents of the Jewish experience.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Treatment of the Jews: WW II Comment: The Jews of Europe are being rounded up to be sent to prison camp. If they are very young children, they are killed immediately! Others can stay alive as long as they can work hard on little food. But they, too, will eventually follow the younger children. It is for this reason Anne Frank and others are hiding in a secret attic. This book, Anne's surviving personal diary, is an account of her experriences in the attic: the problems, small joys, and fears. But their hideout DIDN'T last. The secret place was discovered and Anne Frank was sent off, just like the othrs, never to return. A bitterly sad, but true story.
(junior biography/autobiography: WW II; grades JH-HS) Customer Rating: Summary: DAH Comment: This book was received in a timely manner. My grand daughter was happy with
it. Customer Rating: Summary: Intriguing Account of the Holocaust Comment: For a person first picking up this book, it may appear from the cover and summary that this is a diary written by a girl describing the Holocaust and how it pertains to her. However, the focus of this book is much more subtle than that.
Anne Frank is a thirteen year old living during the time of WW II and the Holocaust. When her family has to go in hiding to avoid persecution and capture by German soldiers, Anne records their experiences in this diary. Most of the time it deals with trivial items such as boyfriends, the weather, the food, and other things. Some readers might be disappointed in the lack of directly-related Holocaust events. However, this is a diary of a typical 13-15 year old girl that just happened to be living while the Holocaust was taking place. I myself was a little disappointed by the lack of historical facts, but this diary is nevertheless a true account of how people lived, reacted, and perished during the Holocaust. Anne's day-to-day activities realistically simulate what it would have been like to have actually lived during such a terrible time in our history. Her writing is quick, fluid, and engaging.
The only downside of this book is that sometimes it is a bit hard to go through it. Some of the diary entries are somewhat boring and there is a lot of repetition in some entries - for example, the constant feud between Anne and her father/mother is a recurring element.
In conclusion, this book may not satisfy history buffs, but will interest the average reader for a while. For those who cn see past Anne's words and experience this as a piece of history, though, this is a treasure trove. Customer Rating: Summary: Great Book!! Comment: We complain about our lives so many times a day.. And most of the times it's not even something really serious. This book shows you a girl that even going through such hard times, she faces it all in a peculiar way.. Of course she has her outbreaks as everyone (specially in confinement) would have but it's so... Try it! It's a must-read for all ages, but particularly for the young people. Customer Rating: Summary: The Face of the Faceless Comment: After I visited the building in Amsterdam where Anne Frank and her family had to hide during WWII, I finally decided to read her famous diary for myself. And I have to say: I was impressed. The book works very well on a variety of levels:
As History
This is an important historical witness of how the daily life of a teenager was restricted and finally squashed by the Nazi regime in Amsterdam. The humanity of Anne's daily thoughts - free-flowing and turbulent - make for a stark contrast to Hitler's cold machinery of might and control. Anne does not embody a perfect human but a real human. She becomes the face for all the faceless who were sucked into a totalitarian system.
As Literature
Considering that the diary is written by a thirteen to fifteen year-old, it is incredibly well written. The Nazis have deprived the world of a witty, pensive and creative writer.
As Psychology
Anne's diary is filled with insights into human nature. Her reflections on herself and her fellow humans are detailed and instructive, sometimes consciously so and sometimes unconsciously by eloquently voicing the feelings of someone her age.
As Child Education
This is an important book both for teenagers and parents. Anne's honesty about her feelings, development (physical and otherwise), problems and joys might help teenagers to deal better with their own development - and parents might be moved by Anne to more sympathy for that age group.
In short, this is essential reading, and ideal when discussing the Holocaust and the Second World War with a young teenager.
