Anne Frank

Author:  Josephine Poole, 2005, Random House
Illustrator:  Angela Barrett

Anne Frank has become a name synonymous with Nazi persecution of Jews.  She posthumously became famous as a result of her diary being published, and the world saw how her Jewish family hid from the Nazis until they were caught.  I have read excerpts from her diary, as well as from other biographies about her, so I had a fair amount of background knowledge as I began reading this particular story.  I suppose it would be improper to say how much I enjoyed the story, given the horror and trauma Anne's family faced.  However, I can say that I learned more about her, the Nazis, and Nazi Germany from Josephine Poole's Anne Frank. 

I really enjoy studing World War II, and I noticed how accurate the facts were in this book.  The author does a fantastic job giving background information about Adolf Hitler, the Fuhrer of Germany.  She describes how Germany went from being one of the greatest nations in the world to the most embarrassed nation following World War I.  Hitler rose to power and began persecuting the Jews with the final goal of exterminating them from the world.  As a result, many Jews went into hiding for months and even years.  Anne Frank's family did so until they were discovered and removed.  Her diary was recovered and became a primary source of the horror she experienced.

This book had beautiful illustrations and enough information to teach the reader more about this time period.  I enjoyed reading the timeline in the back of the book to get a broader understanding of the other world events.  I would recommend this book to any teacher without the slightest reservation.  In fact, I believe this book should be in every library around the country.  It is appropriate for all age groups, and it teaches world history in an informative and interesting way.