Reviews
~~~~~
by Kay Woodward
Produced in association with the Anne Frank House
A compelling visual account of how a Jewish family tried to escape Nazism.
In August 1944, Anne Frank and her family were arrested. Anne was taken to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where she died of typhus in early 1945, about six months after her arrest and just weeks before the British liberated the camp in April 1945. Anne's father fulfilled his promise and published 1,500 copies of Achterhuis, or The Secret Annex, in German. Since then the newly named Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl has sold over 30 million copies in 70 languages.
The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the young diarist's death. Anne wrote the diary during the 25 months that her family of four and four others were hiding in the top floor of an Amsterdam office building, now the Anne Frank Museum, which welcomes one and a half million visitors each year.
The Life of Anne Frank is a compelling factual account and timeline of those two years. Fascinating photographs show the still unchanged Annex, including the hidden entrance, and text takes readers directly inside to reveal the surroundings and Anne's story.
The book uses images and text plus a timeline to cover:
Anne Frank's book is on school reading lists across the country. For many it is a reader's first if not only exposure to anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. The Life of Anne Frank relates this unfathomable time in history. Young readers can grasp the context and place themselves in Anne's story. The vivid visual presentation throughout brings her ordeal to life in a way that words alone cannot.
Recommended for ages 9-14 years.
Hardcover. 48 pages plus 20 loose pages of reproductions, black and white and color photographs.
Published by Firefly Books.
Printed in China.
★ This book covers the life of Anne Frank, the struggles her family faced during their hiding, the people who helped and how she came to write the most famous diary. Amazing photographs and images bring readers into the secret annex and the surrounding world Anne lived in. An inspiring historical account and a wonderful introduction to Anne Frank. This is a must-have for classrooms and history lovers young and old. -- Barbara Hesson ― Calgary Herald
★ Recommended. -- Betsy Fraser ― Canadian Review of Materials
★ An informative volume created with the assistance of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam places Frank's diary in context. Archival photos give faces to the Frank family, the other inhabitants of the Secret Annex, and the brave non-Jewish Dutch citizens who assisted the eight Jews to hide for over two years in a few small rooms in the heart of their city. Woodward includes background information on Hitler's rise to power and the German takeover of the Netherlands as she also details Anne's early life in Germany (where she was born), then the prewar years in the Netherlands, and finally the fraught years after life began to change due to the Nazi restrictions on Jewish life. Taken all together, the text will help young readers understand the situation that necessitated the move into the rooms behind Anne's father's office. They will learn that the Frank family had been trying to leave for the United States since 1938 but, like many others, were prevented from doing so by the difficult process of getting the proper visa. The succinct but meaty two-page spreads are filled with photos of people, a model of the Annex, and artifacts from the period; excerpts from the diary appear in many pages. With the help of this book, the words of Anne's diary will come alive. The retail edition is sold in a slipcase with both the book and a separate folder with photo reproductions of some of the items Frank had with her in the Annex; the library edition does not include slipcase or folder. An effective complement to an enduring chronicle of the Holocaust. ― Kirkus Published On: 2020-06-30
★ An important historical work that everyone from age nine and up should read... Beautifully laid out with photos and a comprehensive timeline, it includes details not just about Anne and her family, but also of the others who shared the hiding place. The author deftly handles the description of Hitler's rise to power and defines terms such as anti-Semitism, nationalism, and holocaust in a way that allows young readers to understand the background to this tragic story... A fitting tribute to Anne, her family and the brave few who helped them. -- Terri Lawrence ― Professionally Speaking
★ (review of UK edition) This is a well-researched and beautifully produced non-fiction text that details the life of Anne Frank. -- Alison ― Books For Topics
★ There aren't many of us that aren't familiar with the story of Anne Frank; it isn't one you forget. It's imprinted on our hearts and makes us feel grateful for our own very safe life compared to Anne's. This book is a little treasure chest that many tweens and teens will love. There are lots of activities and sheets that match to specific sections of the book that elevates the information the author has shared throughout. The book isn't her diary, it's a look back over her early years leading up to the war, information about the invasion and when Anne received her beloved cheque diary. The author gives you an in-depth look at the Annex, going through each of the rooms with a description; this gives you a real sense of how cramped living must have been and how much danger they were in on a daily basis. Kay Woodward, the author, has been very thorough in the information she has included in the book. I feel that the book would be great to use in the classroom and the additions in the folder are perfect not only for at home use but also as classroom activities when a class is studying World War II as part of the curriculum... I feel like the author has presented the information in a respectful way with an educational approach... I recommend this book and know it will be treasured among many. ― Little Big Reads Blog
