Anne Frank

I loved this non-fiction book, and reading it, I often broke down in tears, realizing this personal and innocent true teenage story was all leading up to the tremendous death of millions of innocent people.

This is the only Anne Frank book that I recommend to everybody from a young age. It is THE introduction to the real events of World War 2.

Anne was thirteen years old when she received this diary as a birthday gift, and she used her diary (which she calls “Dear Kitty”) to record her life in the Secret Annex, hiding with her family from the Nazis.

I used an epigraph for it in my book: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” This book offers a nightmarish, true portrait of life secreted away from the constant risk of harm and death. But shining through the terror is Anne’s unstoppable hope: her belief that people are good at… show more.

This list would not be complete without Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. I immediately fell in love with Anne when I read this classic book at a young age. Perhaps the quintessential story of a young girl coming-of-age during the Holocaust, the story unfolds through the letters 13-year-old Anne writes to her diary, whom she has named “Kitty.” Despite being hidden away from the world during her most formative years because she is Jewish, Anne experiences all the normal feelings and emotions of any teenage girl. Living in dire conditions and in constant danger of being… show more.

Anne Frank's diary is highly recommended for reading since it not only defines how the world changed during World War II during the holocaust, but also shows that anyone can write their own story from his or her point of view and have an impact on the world.

Even though this story has a tragic ending, Anne Frank is a true inspiration through her words. She kept this diary while she and her family hid from the Nazis during WWII. She shares with us her hopes, fears, and dreams and through her eyes we can feel a sense of hope, love of family, and so much strength. I’ve read it several times and I still can’t get over how Anne, after all she went through, could say, “In spite of everything, I still believe people are good at heart.” Wow. I wish I knew her. 

The Diary Of A Young Girl is an amazing story of perseverance through terrible hardships during WWII. You feel like you are in the attic with the Frank family trying to live in complete silence and relying on the goodwill of others to protect and provide for your needs. This book began a journey for me...I had to find out what happened to children of all different nationalities and religions during WWII. The Greatest Generation is called that because they pushed forward at every challenge life presented them with.

Anne’s diary is the world’s foremost first-hand account of coming of age in a time of peril, and also while in hiding. Anne’s own words are smart, funny, and profound. She bears witness to her plight, her growth, her hardships, and her joy. She embodies the concept of lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness. Anne is a symbol of the power of the written word to illuminate everything and resound eternally. Anne’s diary is both intimate, personal, and a sweeping testament to the power of a single voice to speak to generations. I love how her daily observations,… show more.

Though my preference tends to be for works of fiction, I love this Holocaust classic which, being a diary, draws the reader immediately into the life of 13 year old Anne. It is a highly captivating book, intimately sharing the thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears of this young girl on the verge of adulthood. It also has a fair bit of drama as she tells of the interactions between the other people in hiding with her and their constant fear of discovery.

I find that it is especially pertinent in the present time, when because of the Covid 19 restrictions… show more.

I first read this diary of a Jewish girl and her family hiding from the Gestapo in Holland during the Holocaust when I was in high school. I believe everyone should read it at least once, as it’s an important and powerful reminder of the horror of war inflicted on an innocent girl and her family. While she lives with the ever-present threat of discovery and its dire consequences, Anne manages to make keen and witty observations about her unusual situation and the people around her. Anne wanted to be a writer, but unfortunately perished in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp along… show more.

No book breaks your heart as this classic diary does. The intimacy and intelligence with which this doomed teenager reveals her day-to-day life and her hopes for the future makes the reader so aware of the impending tragedy and the magnitude of the losses of the Holocaust.