The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition, by Anne Frank

Cover:

Bibliographic Information:

Title: The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition

Author: Anne Frank

ISBN:  978-0385480338

Publisher: Anchor Books

Copyright: 1952

Reader’s Annotation:

One girl describes the difficulty of being a teen while in hiding.

Summary:

Anne Frank and her family went into hiding in Amsterdam, as a result of the increasingly stringent and dangerous actions being taken against Jews during World War II.  Anne and her family move into a secret attic space in the annex of the building where her father worked.  In her diary, Anne recounts the hardships of having to live in hiding, and discussed the other people living in the annex with her.  There is also a discussion of how her father’s coworkers assist in keeping the Frank family’s residence a secret.

Critical Evaluation:

Written in the form of a diary, this book now serves as a memoir of one girl’s experience trying to survive during World War II.  While the book is translated from its original language, the text is still in the words of Anne Frank herself, which means we get a firsthand account of what was going on in the world during WWII, as well as the unique experience of the Frank family living in hiding.

One of the notable things about the writing in the book is that it not only discusses the unusual circumstance of the family’s wartime life, it talks about typical, everyday frustrations a teen girl may encounter.  Anne speaks about her relationship with her family members, and voices honest frustration about her relationship with her mother.  Anne also talks about the changes her body undergoes as she matures.  Anne’s writing captures how very lonely she feels, a feeling to which most teen readers will relate.

Author Biography:

(from author’s Amazon page)

Born in the city of Frankfurt, Germany, she lived most of her life in or near Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Born a German national, Frank lost her citizenship in 1941 and thus became stateless. The Frank family moved from Germany to Amsterdam in the early 1930s when the Nazis gained control over Germany. By May 1940, they were trapped in Amsterdam by the German occupation of the Netherlands. As persecutions of the Jewish population increased in July 1942, the family went into hiding in some concealed rooms behind a bookcase in the building where Anne's father worked. In August 1944, the group was betrayed and transported to concentration camps. Anne and her sister, Margot, were eventually transferred to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they died (probably of typhus) in February or March 1945, just weeks before the camp was liberated in April.

Genre(s): 
Non-Fiction, Memoir

Curriculum Ties:

Pennsylvania State Standard - CC.1.2.11-12.L
Read and comprehend literary non-fiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

Booktalk Ideas:

A discussion on what it means to be a refugee in wartime, and modern examples of refugees

A discussion about the atrocities committed as a part of the Holocaust, not only against Jews but against other groups of people as well.

          

Reading Level:

Lexile 1080

Interest Age: 

12 and up

Challenge Issues: Could be challenged based brief discussion of sexuality, and dark subject matter relating to the Holocaust and war.

  If this book were challenged I would:

·         Listen to the concerns of the person raising the challenge

·         Consult the library’s collection development policy

·         Explain how this work meets a library need based on the collection development policy 

·         Consult YALSA’s Dealing with Challenges to Young Adult Materials

·         Consult reviews on VOYA, Amazon, Common Sense Media, and Kirkus

·         Discuss any awards or notable commendations the book received

·         Explain the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom as discussed in the ALA Library Bill of Rights

·         Give the patron the procedure for a formal challenge should they seek to pursue it

Why was this book selected:

It is important that a well-rounded teen collection contain all types of materials.  While, in general, teens do not check out many non-fiction items, there are some titles that stand out as classics, and this is certainly one of them.  Teens are often quite interested in history, and World War II/the Holocaust seems to be an area of particular interest to teens.  For me personally, I first became fascinated with the Holocaust as a teenager, and then that interest stayed on through my adult life.  I think many teens want to read about the Holocaust in an attempt to understand how such an extreme tragedy could occur.  Anne Frank is one of the most notable victims of the Holocaust, in part because of this book.  Her words offer teen readers a unique first hand account of the hardships of trying to survive the war.  I cannot imagine not having this title as a part of any teen collection.