The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Age Group: Middle Grade (More YA though)
Genre: Memoir
Publishing Date: Published July 1993 by Bantam (Mass Market Edition)

Summary: Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.

In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annexe" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death.

In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short

My Thoughts: Wow, this book was incredible. Sure, I did have to read it for school, but I really did get into it. I will say, it is sort of bland, because you know there are no thoughts you are just reading someone's recollection of an event. But it is sort of like, reading someone's diary is always going to be good. I really did get into it down the stretch, but that was because towards the end there was more drama, more action. Since there isn't really any spoilers (I mean, I think we all know what eventually happens to Anne), I should say her description of the robberies, when they get discovered, and the obvious romance, it was pretty good. The beginning was a bit banal, but I think if you really get into it, it really is a fantastic book.

Rating: 8 out of ten.