I am Anne Frank

August 15, 2020
A bobblehead avatar of the teenage writer and symbol of the Holocaust presents her life as an inspiration. From a big-eared babyhood and a childhood spent "writing stories" to fleeing Germany for Amsterdam, Anne's pre-Annex life is sketched. Narrating in the first person, the cartoon Anne explains that Nazis "didn't like those of us who were Jewish or other groups who were different from them." Hitler is presented as a leader "who blamed the Jews for all of Germany's problems, even though we hadn't done anything wrong." Then in short order Anne receives her diary as a birthday present, the family goes into hiding, and Anne finds solace in the attic looking at the chestnut tree and writing. Effectively, Annex scenes are squeezed between broad black borders. Illustrations present four snippets of quotes from her diary, including "I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart." Narrator Anne says, "You can always find light in the darkest places. That's what hope is," as she clutches the diary with Shabbat candles on one side and a menorah burning brightly on the other. In the next double-page spread, an international array of modern-day visitors standing outside the Anne Frank House briefly, in speech bubbles, wraps up the story of the Holocaust, the diary, the Annex, and the chestnut tree. Anne's wretched death in a concentration camp is mentioned only in a concluding timeline. I Am Benjamin Franklin publishes simultaneously. (This book was reviewed digitally with 7.5-by-15-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) A sanitized version of a too-short life. (photos, sources, further reading) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

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September 18, 2020

Gr 2-4-In the newest addition to the "Ordinary People Change the World" series, Meltzer tackles the story of Anne Frank with mixed results. The simplistic storytelling method addresses the key points of Anne's story while using a heavier hand to place emphasis on hope and kindness. The text provides explanation of the Holocaust and the treatment of Jewish people during World War II while staying true to Anne's diary, often using direct quotes when she is shown writing. Anne is the narrator throughout, but the book ends with many speakers discussing Hitler's defeat, Anne's death, and the discovery of her writing. As with previous titles in the series, the book's illustrations depict the main characters as very young children throughout their lives, which in this case creates a jarring and potentially horrifying look at a family's experience with the Holocaust. While Anne Frank's story has great importance and relevance, this book pairs wartime atrocities with casual cartoonish art in a way that may strike some as inappropriate. VERDICT Educators may find that the frightening nature of the story is not handled in a way that would be suitable for the target audience. For a more sensitive approach, try Jeff Gottsfeld's The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank's Window.-Erica Deb, Matawan Aberdeen P.L., NJ

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Starred review from October 15, 2020
Grades 1-3 *Starred Review* The two latest entries in the Ordinary People Change the World series (2 new titles) continue to deliver accessible history lessons through the charm of youthful comics. In I Am Anne Frank, readers are introduced to Frank as a relatable, everyday girl before she and her family flee from the Nazis, finding their way into the secret annex. Meltzer extolls Jewish values while gently addressing the escalating persecution of Jews and the horrors of the holocaust, acknowledging the terror but framing Frank's story as one of resilience and hope. The girl's narration ends with her still in hiding, and a final, modern-day spread lists pertinent facts, including Frank's eventual death. Older readers will appreciate seeing segments of the diary's text in slivered panels between ever-widening black gutters. This undeniably somber volume is appropriately lightened by Eliopoulos' disarming cartoons, which utilize large panels, speech bubbles, and simple yet expressive character designs. An excellent series?with a particular standout in Anne Frank?perfect for beginning readers not quite ready for Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2020
"With eight of us crammed together, our world was very small. But if you look for what's good, you'll find it." In a friendly first-person text (drawn from the diary as much as possible), a cartoon Anne Frank tells readers about her childhood in Nazi Germany, her Jewish family's escape to Amsterdam, and their time spent in hiding during the Holocaust. Eliopoulos's comic-style illustrations help deliver the grim facts of the time and place; Anne's inimitable spirit comes through in both the text and art. Archival photos, a timeline, bibliography, and reading list enhance the presentation.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)