The Diary of Anne Frank ; Play and Related Readings by Frances GoodrichAR Reading Level: 3.1
On the library stacks: Adult Non-fiction
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
When I asked Coco's 6th grade literature teacher which books they would be reading this year, he said The Diary of Anne Frank. So I went straight over to my closing Borders and purchased a paperback copy for next to nothing. I was very pleased about it all until Coco came home and mentioned that The Diary of Anne Frank is actually a play. Sure enough, I had a look at what I bought...Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.
Perhaps the literature teacher might have mentioned that he meant the play instead of the actual diary?! Surely I can't be the only person who might have made this mistake! Not to mention that finding this book is not that easy. I ended up with a used classroom copy.
Anyhow, this is a short play based on the diary, with related readings. The play itself was pretty good and easy to visualize how it would come off on the stage. The related readings included an excerpt from Anne Frank's diary, an account from a gypsy who survived the concentration camps, a story about the Japanese internment camps in the US, and a basic outline on how Oskar Schindler saved 1,200 Jews.
Part of me wishes I could hide these atrocities from my children forever, but I also feel that they need to be aware of such evil in our past and our present in a way that is age-appropriate. I will be having a chat with my daughter before she reads this, but I know she is ready.
Source: Purchased
5 comments:
The original book is one of my all time favorites - one of the few I will re-read from time to time - and I think I'll stick with it.
My 8th-grade class play was The Diary of Anne Frank (I got to be Anne's mother in a few scenes!), but we read the actual diary for class before putting on the play. I'm a bit surprised that a teacher would go for the play only, considering what an interesting history the diary has. But it is only sixth grade, I guess?
I hadn't heard of the play. I think that's a great way to introduce it to children. My daughter's school uses the original book as required reading in 8th grade.
I meant to add that I've linked to your review on War Through the Generations.
So, Sheely's reading class is reading the diary AND the play, apparently. They're all super excited about doing the read-aloud of the play :)
Post a Comment