School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9-Denenberg is clearly passionate about his subject. Unfortunately, his enthusiasm doesn't translate into a thoughtful, well-written biography. One problem is his audience: the introduction and bibliographical essay are directed at adults, while the text swings from upper elementary to high school (and back again). Second, the writing is often awkward and choppy, with an annoying use of sentence fragments. Third, there are many errors, omissions, and unanswered questions. Finally, the book's four sections are disjointed. "Living" is a straightforward narrative. In "Hiding," Denenberg covers the Franks' years in the Secret Annex through a fictional diary "written" by Anne's sister, Margot. In his introduction he claims that this made-up diary accomplishes six "important things," but it doesn't. There are a number of discrepancies between Margot's "diary" and Anne's. And, by not quoting any of Anne's entries, key insights into her personality, feelings and beliefs, and growing maturity are absent-from her own biography. "Dying" uses oral histories of concentration-camp survivors. "Surviving" is disappointingly brief and ends abruptly with the publication of Anne's diary. There is nothing about the play or movie/TV adaptations, nothing on the Anne Frank House or Foundation, nothing on the controversies that have arisen regarding the diary's authenticity (and how it was edited), and-most importantly-nothing about the diary's enormous impact. While not totally satisfactory, Susan Goldman Rubin's Searching for Anne Frank (Abrams, 2003) is both thorough and interesting.-Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The "imagin[ed] and re-creat[ed]" diary of Margot Frank makes up the middle third of this uniquely constructed book which aims-and largely succeeds-at filling out the details of the Franks' family life that Anne's famous diary alone does not provide. The first third recounts Anne's early childhood, leading up to the family's decision to leave Frankfurt for Amsterdam and, ultimately, to go into hiding in the annex of Otto Frank's business. The middle, invented diary portion is a bold, well-executed experiment, despite occasional clanks here and there ("It's almost as if she truly expects that someday millions of people will be reading her diary," writes Margot of her sister).The third section takes readers beyond Anne's diary and into the horror of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, where Anne, Margot and their mother's lives end. In this section, Denenberg (Voices from Vietnam) skillfully weaves excerpts from Holocaust survivors' oral histories to present what is known about the Frank women's final months. Excellent source notes include a chronology and a bibliographical essay. This is the rare book that will work both for student report writers and anyone interested in human history. Ages 10-14. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Middle School, High School) Anne Frank receives two vastly different portraits in these new releases. Denenberg divides his account into four parts. The first, ""Living,"" provides historical background on Nazism and its influence on the Frank family. The second, ""Hiding,"" allows Anne's older sister, Margot, to speak through her own fictitious diary. ""Dying"" is recounted through first-person accounts of those who survived the camps, and ""Surviving"" returns to the chronological narrative, outlining Otto Frank's last days of the war, his eventual freedom, and his search for his family. The fictional diary creates a real departure from Anne's familiar perspective, with Margot's political views becoming ""a valid vehicle for conveying what was happening historically both in the Netherlands and the world""; and her strong sense of Jewish identity contrasts with Anne's more secular viewpoints. Backed by thorough research (as noted in a bibliographical essay, source notes, and an extensive bibliography), Margot's views place Anne in a family (rather than being the sole star of it) as well as in a more complicated history than Anne can comprehend. On the other hand, Jacqueline van Maarsen emphasizes personal experiences rather than the sweep of history as she recalls events from her childhood, when she and Anne were friends. Through van Maarsen, readers meet an Anne removed from the familiar context of her immediate family, an exuberant girl sharing adventures and confidences with her friends. However, Anne is distanced from readers through the ""as told to"" format, and the main character (van Maarsen) has no compelling characterization. A timeline of events in the Netherlands during the 1940s and suggested readings are appended. [Review covers these titles: Shadow Life and A Friend Called Anne.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A line taken out of context from Anne Frank's diary ("in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart") is too often used to turn Anne's story into something uplifting. Denenberg provides a valuable resource that takes readers beyond the diary into the concentration camps, where Anne's brief life ended horribly. The unusual, three-part structure of the volume includes an account of Anne's early years, a fictional recreation of the diary kept by Margot, Anne's older sister, and an oral history of the last months of the Frank family in the voices of the survivors of Westerbork, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen, people who were there with Anne and her family members. The essence of Anne's story is not in any uplifting sentiment, but in demonstrating how an ordinary girl can become the victim of hate and violence. If Anne's story helps us see that each life is precious, "then the diary that Anne was given can be a gift to us, too." (introduction, chronology, source notes, bibliographical essay, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 6-10. Readers of Anne Frank's diary may think they know her story, but this thoroughly researched volume offers much more, throwing light on the lives of Anne and her family before, during, and after the years in the secret annex. The first section discusses the Franks' life in Germany when Hitler came to power, their move to Amsterdam, and their lives during the next nine years. The second section, a fictional diary in the voice of Anne's older sister Margot, offers a slightly different perspective on the time the family spent in hiding. Returning to nonfiction, the third and fourth sections recount what happened to the family members when they were discovered and sent to concentration camps, and describe Otto Frank's postwar efforts to find his daughters and the publication of Anne's diary. Inserting a fictional diary into a nonfiction work was an unusual choice, but the section effectively makes the people, their relationships, and their experiences more real. While Anne's diary is affecting in a way that no other version of her story could be, readers who hunger to know more will find this informative, involving book--with source notes, a detailed time line, a bibliographic essay, and lists of further resources--a great place to turn. Photos, not available prepublication, will be included. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2005 Booklist
