
Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl
by Anne Frank
Interest age: 12 to 16
Reading age: 12+
Published by Penguin, 1952
About this book
Now widely regarded as one of the most important pieces of historical literature of all time, Anne Frank’s diary has lost none of its power since its publication.
Anne’s diary begins in 1942 on her 13th birthday, when she receives the diary as a gift, and she continues to address her imaginary friend “Kitty” in entries over the next two years of her life; detailing the experiences of an average Jewish family under the threat of Nazi occupation, and later going into hiding into the annexe of her father’s factory.
Aside from being one of the youngest published diarists in history, Anne’s writing is a joy to read; she had a sharp and funny wit, and a brilliant eye for observation when it came to her school friends and of the Frank family’s companions in the annexe. And yet, Anne was a teenage girl just like any other; her insecurities, hopes, dreams, worries and secrets, confided to the safety of her diary, are still relatable to teen readers today. Anne herself feels like a friend you might have at school.
Today, there is a global awareness and acknowledgement of the unspeakable atrocities committed by Nazism against the Jewish people. Anne’s diary – not written by a historian, politician, or anthropologist, but a child – is a unique and poignant insight into this traumatic period in history.
What to read next
We know that children can get hooked on a favourite book series or author and struggle to find something they love as much, but we’re here to help.
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