Number the Stars or Diary of Anne Frank?

[redsquirrel]

Anyone have a preference? I am pretty sure we can only do one. I am leaning toward Diary of Anne Frank because I have read it already.

[swimmermom3]

They are so different that it is hard to pick. Do you have a literary theme or specific time frame?

[Lori D.]

Agreeing with SwimmerMom. What are you wanting to emphasize?

 

Number the Stars is at a 4th/5th grade reading level, but due to the potentially intense topic -- actually hiding Jews and helping them escape -- many people wait until at a 6th-8th grade level. It is very gentle and non-graphic in presentation. It is historical fiction. It is much shorter and will be a much faster read.

 

Diary of Ann Frank is a 13yo or older teen reading level, largely the coming-of-age diary of a teen girl who happens to go into hiding during the writing of the diary. There is not a lot direct reference to WW2, Hitler, hiding, or even persecution of the Jews -- more about her feelings about boys, her desire to be a writer, and the deprivations and hardships of living all cooped up in a small space with so many people for so long. Depending on which edition you get, there are some brief references to budding sexual feelings, her kiss with co-hiding teen, her strong negative feelings towards her mother. It is autobiographical journal writing. It is much longer, and a slower read.

[redsquirrel]

We are studying modern history and my reading list tends to follow our history reading as much is reasonable. I was leaning towards Diary if only because it is a classic. My son can definitely handle a more challenging book so it sounds like Diary of Anne Frank would be a better choice.

 

I hadn't considered using anything else, until I saw Number the Stars being mentioned by a large number of middle school reading sites. I started to wonder if maybe it had supplanted Diary of Anne Frank in the middle school cannon.

[swimmermom3]

For a 13 yo boy in the 8th grade, I would maybe switch out Anne Frank for Night by Elie Wiesel. My dd felt privileged to hear Wiesel speak to her school when she was in 9th grade. My youngest, the cynic, liked the book very much when he read it in 9th grade. Preread it over the weekend, if you have time and see what you think. I have mixed feelings about The Diary of Anne Frank. I think it is important as a primary source, perhaps less so as a literary choice, but then some would say the same for Night.

 

The idea of an expurgated Anne Frank, a sanitized Anne Frank seems so incredibly disrespectful to the person she was: a young girl of a confusing age, living in an horrific age. Blech!

[Lori D.]

We are studying modern history and my reading list tends to follow our history reading as much is reasonable. I was leaning towards Diary if only because it is a classic. My son can definitely handle a more challenging book so it sounds like Diary of Anne Frank would be a better choice.

 

I hadn't considered using anything else, until I saw Number the Stars being mentioned by a large number of middle school reading sites. I started to wonder if maybe it had supplanted Diary of Anne Frank in the middle school cannon.

 

 

Depending on what you're wanting to cover through one of these books, I'll throw another option out there for you since you have a mature reader: The Book Thief (by Zusak). I just finished this one this summer and thoroughly enjoyed it -- much more than I expected to. I tend to be conservative, so, like Diary of Anne Frank, I personally would wait until high school (about age 15) for both books.

 

It covers the civilian side of living in Germany during WW2. A lot of swearing (mostly in German), told from the perspective of the character Death, who is trying to understand humans, and follows a girl who is placed in foster care at about age 9 in 1938, and follows her for about 4 years. They hide a Jewish man for a short while, and deal with shortages and air raids.

 

Incredibly creative and poetic in the writing -- not sure a 13yo would really fully appreciate that aspect. But a very interesting perspective. The author's parents were children/teens in Germany during WW2 and experienced many of the things brought out in the book. See the full and lengthy synopsis *** spoiler alert *** at Wikipedia.

 

Just another option to muddy the waters for you! ;) But, I also really like SwimmerMom's suggestion of Night. Also, our family found The Hiding Place to be incredibly powerful and inspiring; and unusually well-written. It is from a Christian perspective. It is the biography of Corrie tenBoom and centers largely on the years her family hid several Jewish people in their Denmark home, and then what happened when they were caught and sent to concentration camps.

[redsquirrel]

I own Night. Do you suggest it because you think it is a better literary choice (quite possible) or because he is a boy? He is very comfortable reading books about girls. His favorite TV is Buffy and Xena. His favorite book series used to be The Penderwicks, but Skye has been supplanted by Katniss.

 

So, if the gender thing isn't at issue, do you still think Night is a better choice? Reaching back into my brain for both I find them to be somewhat equal. However, Night is shorter...isn't it? Gah, I swear I read both books yesterday, but it seems to have been decades. How did that happen?

 

And I was planning on having him read the newly updated Anne Frank.

 

I have The Book Thief on my nightstand to read. They are making it into a movie and I want to read it before that comes out.

 

[purplelily]

 

There are two versions of Night. The new version is easier to read.

Another book is "The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas". It is a sad tale about two boys, who befriended each other and their fate.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Candy-Bomber-Berlin-Airlifts-Chocolate/dp/1580893376. Is another interesting book.

[Lori D.]

So, if the gender thing isn't at issue, do you still think Night is a better choice? Reaching back into my brain for both I find them to be somewhat equal.

 

Well, I just read the synopsis of Night on Wikipedia -- yikes! Intense! We're talking the death of the soul, death of faith in God, and watching everything you've ever known be inhumanly and systematically destroyed. Again, I personally would wait until later high school. I know *I* barely was able to handle the intense books and films we covered in my 20th century high school history class at age 17-18. Not saying it wasn't a good thing to cover these topics, but... you know your DS best, and what he is or is not ready for. We decided to wait until our DSs were 15-16yo, so they had more maturity, and more "tools" for processing and discussing these intense types of subjects. YMMV!

 

Of the two (Night, and, Diary of Anne Frank), Anne Frank is definitely much less intense. Don't know what you're wanting to "get out of" a WW2 / Holocaust work, though...

 

 

ETA -- PS

We did Anne Frank when DSs were 15-16yo. They were not interested in it. To them, it was a teen girl's diary. We persevered and finished it, as primary source works are always a good thing. But from a historical perspective, being teen boys, they got a lot more out of All Quiet on the Western Front (WW1 and trench warfare -- also done when they were a bit older -- another very intense and powerful work). They esp. connected with the various documentaries on WW2 that we watched -- that period of time is SO well documented visually.

 

 

 

...The Book Thief ... They are making it into a movie and I want to read it before that comes out.

 

Wow. I have NO idea how you would translate that book into a film, unless you just stripped it down to the bald narrative "facts". Which would completely destroy what the book was trying to do. It's not really a book about narrative...

 

 

And just for general reference for comparing your book options for this time period: I'd put Book Thief and The Hunger Games (since you mentioned Katniss) on a similar level of intensity and graphic-ness. The excerpts of Night that I have read -- I would say it is much more adult, complex, poetic, personal, intense, and psychological. If your DS has read and understood some of the tougher Great Books from the ancient and medieval periods, then Night would fall into a similar level of difficulty.

[Alice]

I had ds read Number the Stars last year. I read it also. I  liked it a lot and thought it was a really good choice for him in 4th grade. It’s about a horrific subject but much gentler than Anne Frank or other Holocaust literature. However, I personally think it would be too young for a 13 year old. 

[aggieamy]

 

Just another option to muddy the waters for you! ;) But, I also really like SwimmerMom's suggestion of Night. Also, our family found The Hiding Place to be incredibly powerful and inspiring; and unusually well-written. It is from a Christian perspective. It is the biography of Corrie tenBoom and centers largely on the years her family hid several Jewish people in their Denmark home, and then what happened when they were caught and sent to concentration camps.

 

As I was reading this thread The Hiding Place was one of the first books that came to mind for me also.  I loved it.  It did such an amazing job of showing the horror of the Holocaust and the absolute incredible kindness that people can have for each other. 

 

I had ds read Number the Stars last year. I read it also. I  liked it a lot and thought it was a really good choice for him in 4th grade. It’s about a horrific subject but much gentler than Anne Frank or other Holocaust literature. However, I personally think it would be too young for a 13 year old. 

 

I did it as a read aloud for DD last year and we both enjoyed it.  (Enjoyed doesn't seem to be the right word, does it?)  It is gentle and while there are intense parts I can also see it being a bit too young and gentle for a 13 yo boy. 

[redsquirrel]

book thief trailer:

 

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/thebookthief/

 

I haven't read the book, so all I know is from the trailer.  I should be getting to the book by next week.

[Lori D.]

book thief trailer:

 

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/thebookthief/

 

I haven't read the book, so all I know is from the trailer.  I should be getting to the book by next week.

 

 

Aaarrrrrggghhhh! In viewing the preview... they have completely "Hallmarked" or "Disney-fied" the book!  :eek: Shhhuuudddeerrr!

[TracyP]

I may not have this correct. Someone please correct me if I do.

 

Unless you have recently read The Diary of Anne Frank, you have read the expurgated version. When Anne's Father sent the diary to publishers he picked to exclude some bits. Very recently someone found those bits and added them back in. So the new version has extra bits that Anne's Father picked to exclude, and were not included in the version that you read when you were in highschool. 

 

As far as I can tell, the updates have been included since 1989.

[mamaraby]

I had ds read Number the Stars last year. I read it also. I liked it a lot and thought it was a really good choice for him in 4th grade. It’s about a horrific subject but much gentler than Anne Frank or other Holocaust literature. However, I personally think it would be too young for a 13 year old.

I have this on our list for next year with my then 4th grader. I flipped through it - we're talking a very thin book and a far easier reading level than a 13yo. I'd pick Diary over Number the Stars for a 13yo easily.

[Ali in OR]

My 10 yo 5th grader will be reading Number the Stars this year. We also did it as a read-aloud 4 years ago. 13 yo 8th grader will be reading The Diary of Anne Frank (the definitive edition with more added). I have The Hiding Place scheduled as a read-aloud at the same time.

 

You could have Number the Stars laying around for him to pick up if he's curious while you assign something a little harder. Anita Lobel's No Pretty Pictures was also very good--I just can't figure out how to work everything in! I enjoyed The Book Thief very much, but I prefer to use the actual memoirs over a novel for school reading.

[redsquirrel]

Well, I am thinking I will stick with Diary. It is just such a classic that I can't imagine skipping it. I think I will maybe get Maus and let him check that out on his own time, if he has any interest.

 

 

[lewelma]

We will be using The Endless Steppe instead. It is written by a survivor about her childhood experience at age 12. As a Jew she was sent to live in Siberia in horrible conditions. I much prefer it to both of your other options.

 

Ruth in NZ

[Lori D.]

We will be using The Endless Steppe instead. It is written by a survivor about her childhood experience at age 12. As a Jew she was sent to live in Siberia in horrible conditions. I much prefer it to both of your other options.

 

Ruth in NZ

 

 

Thanks Ruth! -- Endless Steppe (Hautzig) -- that reminds me of 2 other memoir-written-in-historical-fiction-style, plus another worthwhile historical fiction work:

 

- Winged Watchman (Van Stockum). From the perspective of the youngest son in a Dutch family living under German occupation. The family took in a Jewish toddler to try and save his life. Deprivation, and the older brother joined the resistance movement. Based on a real family's experiences. At about a 6th grade level. 

 

- Escape From Warsaw (Serraillier). Three Polish silblings who survived alone in Warsaw for the last few years of the war and along the way take in an orphaned boy; at war's end they head to Switzerland to find their parents. Not so brutal or graphic, but it does show the deprivations and survival aspect in an area that was leveled by the war. I found this to be very powerful; amazing how children survived on their own. Plus you get both the experience of living during the war, and see how devastated Europe was after the war. at a middle school level.

 

- After the War (Matas). A teen Jewish girl in Europe tries to find her family; when she learns none have survived the concentration camps, she heads to Palestine, as the nation of Israel struggles to form. Just adequate in the writing, but really worthwhile due to the subject. Both the terrible devastation of Europe and the fact that sometimes survivors could not find one another, plus the formation of Israel. This is short and a fast read. Middle school level and up.

[lmrich]

The Hiding Place is excellent for that age. It is quite compelling and provides excellent lessons for life today. Corrie Ten Boom is a heroine and still inspires.

[xixstar]

Number the Stars is one of my favorite books from school - I don't remember when I read it but it stood out to me much more than AF Diary which I know I also read but remember little of the reading.

[SuzySparkle]

I loved Night, but I read it and The Trial Of God along with some other works in a religion course. Very intense books. A 13-year-old would have to be pretty mature to handle those feelings IMHO. We're not there yet, so I haven't had to ask those questions of my dd.

[ocelotmom]

 

- After the War (Matas). A teen Jewish girl in Europe tries to find her family; when she learns none have survived the concentration camps, she heads to Palestine, as the nation of Israel struggles to form. Just adequate in the writing, but really worthwhile due to the subject. Both the terrible devastation of Europe and the fact that sometimes survivors could not find one another, plus the formation of Israel. This is short and a fast read. Middle school level and up.

 

She has a number of other Holocaust books as well which cover similar territory to Number The Stars at a slightly older level.

 

I agree with the choice of Anne Frank from a classics perspective, and it's POV is unique, but it definitely isn't the most engaging option. But maybe that makes it a good option for assigned reading, with more exciting choices for free reading if he's interested.

[Penguin]

Here is a previous thread about the Diary of Anne Frank that might interest you.

 

I had DS read Number the Stars last year (6th) and he will read Anne Frank this year (7th).

I think we will do Maus in 8th.

 

I am going to seek out the older version of the diary simply because I think that he would enjoy it more. FWIW, I am not at all convinced that Anne would have wanted the unedited version published so I do not feel any qualms about choosing the oldest, edited version for my son.  He would be allowed to read any version that interests him.

 

I remember reading Night with one of my olders when he was in 9th.  If memory serves me, that one was really intense and graphic.

 

[ocelotmom]

This thread helped me decide to read my boys, "Number the Stars". Well first I'll get it out of the library and then take a look before my final decision.

 

Cause my boys are very close and like doing everything together I can't feasibly read it with just my Eldest. 

 

My Mom and her 9 siblings grew up in Denmark, and I went to visit extended family living in Denmark when I was a early teen. 

 

This will be our first 'issue'/emtional book to read, if I'm explaining it right. 

 

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan and Twenty and Ten by Claire Bishop are good for this age range, too. All three are more gentle introductions to the subject.

[Jamee]

Since you're dealing with a boy, I found this book a very fascinating read: A Lucky Child. It's one of the few Holocaust stories with a happy ending too.

[EKS]

I would choose Anne Frank over Number the Stars.  And I would choose it over Night as well.

[aggieamy]

I had heard of "Twenty and Ten" from some reading list. (perhaps Sonlight?). My library doesn't have it. But my library does have "Snow Teasure" So I'll check it out.

 

My library also happens to have this book in French: 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Yellow-Star-Christian-Denmark/dp/1561452084/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379302302&sr=8-1&keywords=King+Denmark+Star

 

I liked Twenty and Ten but I found Snow Treasure to be silly propaganda.  It seemed like it was written by a middle aged American woman who imagined that's what it would be like during WWII.   If I remember it all ended with everyone sailing happily for America because it is the land of freedom and truth and justice. *cue patriotic music*  It was a bit much.

[all4ramseys@msn.com]

This is also an excellent option: The Devil's Arithmetic

 

http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Arithmetic-Puffin-Modern-Classics/dp/0142401099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379465085&sr=1-1&keywords=the+devil%27s+arithmetic

[mom2bee]

I loved Night and had the pleasure of hearing him speak at a near by university a while back. It is one of my favorite books and always read it in one sitting when I do read it!

 

Night has some graphic violence (a young man kills his father, the narrator is beaten for spying on someone) and it has at least one mention of sex. (The author sees a guy have sex with a young girl and is later beaten for it, if I recall correctly)

 

Personally, I have never been able to finish Anne Frank and I guess its partly because I don't feel right reading someones diary. It was never meant to be public or shared in the way that it is and I have a personal conflict over whether or not I would want my own diary read in such a way...so with that bias known, I would not read it nor recommend/require it of anyone else to read. There are many, many books on WWII and the holocaust that are meant for grades 4+ so I would look for other options.

 

However, I do find Night to be a heavy read, but I enjoyed the book and their is something very...humane, about the whole story to me that never fails to make me feel.

 

 

[mom2bee]

I remember reading Night with one of my olders when he was in 9th.  If memory serves me, that one was really intense and graphic.

I concur with this, even though its been a while since I read it. I think that it is intense and graphic, I don't know if I'd recommend it for any and every 13yo. I think that I could've read the book at 13 with no problems, but I was very fascinated by the Holocaust survivors and I am not a very emotional person. I probably couldn't have appreciated the book for the gritty story that it tells until I was about 16 or 17 though.

[Ali in OR]

 

Personally, I have never been able to finish Anne Frank and I guess its partly because I don't feel right reading someones diary. It was never meant to be public or shared in the way that it is and I have a personal conflict over whether or not I would want my own diary read in such a way...so with that bias known, I would not read it nor recommend/require it of anyone else to read. There are many, many books on WWII and the holocaust that are meant for grades 4+ so I would look for other options.

 

 

In the Definitive Edition, they explain that Anne was actually polishing her diary for publication. She heard on the radio I think from a Dutch government official in exile in England that they would be looking to publish people's diaries or experiences. She reworked some of her entries with publication in mind, though I'm sure what she would have published would have probably left out some of the material. I don't judge her or think less of her for the less-flattering or personal sections. She just comes across as very real; some of her trials are similar to what all or most teens go through. I'm not having my 10 yo read it, but I think my 13 yo will appreciate it.

[mom2bee]

In the Definitive Edition, they explain that Anne was actually polishing her diary for publication. She heard on the radio I think from a Dutch government official in exile in England that they would be looking to publish people's diaries or experiences. She reworked some of her entries with publication in mind, though I'm sure what she would have published would have probably left out some of the material. I don't judge her or think less of her for the less-flattering or personal sections. She just comes across as very real; some of her trials are similar to what all or most teens go through. I'm not having my 10 yo read it, but I think my 13 yo will appreciate it.

 

Yeah, I had read about that before, but somehow I still feel like...I don't know...weird reading it. Because Anne didn't submit her diary for publication, she didn't "ok" the version that was published.

I don't know that any reasonable person would judge or think less of her for what she wrote or the way that she wrote in her own journal, but I don't know...I know that this is just me being stupid, (personally, I never kept diaries in the traditional sense, I kept notebooks and not with typical diary entries in it either.) but I write stories and they are meant to be published one day and if they were published without my knowledge/consent, my final 'stamp of approval' I would feel...for lack of a more eloquent term, awful. Like my rights as an author been violated or something, you know...

 

I just can't bring myself to read the girls diary, I know its a pretty stupid thing, but its been with me for about 10 years now and I haven't outgrown it or been able to shake the feeling....

[swimmermom3]

I own Night. Do you suggest it because you think it is a better literary choice (quite possible) or because he is a boy? He is very comfortable reading books about girls. His favorite TV is Buffy and Xena. His favorite book series used to be The Penderwicks, but Skye has been supplanted by Katniss.

 

So, if the gender thing isn't at issue, do you still think Night is a better choice? Reaching back into my brain for both I find them to be somewhat equal. However, Night is shorter...isn't it? Gah, I swear I read both books yesterday, but it seems to have been decades. How did that happen?

 

And I was planning on having him read the newly updated Anne Frank.

 

I have The Book Thief on my nightstand to read. They are making it into a movie and I want to read it before that comes out.

 

Anne Frank is one of those choices that is on the list for students, in part, because it's been there for a long time. I like the book, but it is one for a small corner of the picture during World War II. It's like trying to see the images through a pinhole. If I needed a biography because that was the genre we were studying and our history studies had a modern focus, I might pick it. If you are using the sanitized version, then what is the point? Some of what has been edited, as far as I can tell, are some of the things that make Anne real as a person, as a young teen.

 

I just read an essay that mentioned the writing in Night as being "overwrought," so I won't tell you that it is a better literary choice. The author is very passionate about making sure people don't forget what happened and I think that is a good thing. One of the things that comes out of Night  is the cultural thinking that led the Jewish people in Germany to allow themselves to be squeezed into the ghettos.

 

If you had originally allowed time for Diary of Anne Frank, I would maybe consider Night and The Book Thief, (Lori D's suggestion) in it's place. This would give your student a broader perspective and in my opinion, The Book Thief has high literary merit. They would take roughly about the same amount of time as Frank's biography.

 

[swimmermom3]

Redsquirrel, sorry for that last post. I don't make it over here very often and probably should have read through everything before posting.

 

Remember, if this is for 8th grade, you can be flexible.  Start with what draws you the most, but know that the skills of readers this age change dramatically in a very short time. It's easy to underestimate or overestimate what your student is capable of at this point.  When dealing with emotionally tough subjects, it's good to have options. My daughter read Diary of Anne Frank  in 8th grade and Night in 9th and liked both of them. My oldest son read one chapter of the dairy in 8th grade and was done. My youngest has never been into Newberry books or reading for that matter. In 8th grade he went straight to reading the tough stuff. He has always been drawn "the bigger picture."

 

As always, you are the best judge of what will work.

[Chrysalis Academy]

This thread inspired me to start reading Night, as it's been on my shelf for awhile.  Wow! It is incredibly intense and moving.  

 

As far as the lack of literary merit comment - I wonder if that's based on an earlier translation? It was originally written in Yiddish and there were issues with the original translation.  The one I'm reading was translated by his wife, and I think it's quite well written, it doesn't seem overwrought to me, given the topic. . . 

 

But wow, pretty intense for a 13 yo.  What do I know, my oldest kid is going on 11, but I would think this would be heavy for 13.  Even beyond the horror of the historical situation, there is the intense misery of the author's loss of faith, and his anger at his father, which fills him with rage even while his father is being murdered beside him on the ground . . . I just think there is a lot to unpack there for an early adolescent.  I know my kids will have to face the reality of the human capacity for inhumanity at some point.  I just don't know if, for me, 13 is that point.

[Penguin]

Anne Frank is one of those choices that is on the list for students, in part, because it's been there for a long time. I like the book, but it is one for a small corner of the picture during World War II. It's like trying to see the images through a pinhole. If I needed a biography because that was the genre we were studying and our history studies had a modern focus, I might pick it. If you are using the sanitized version, then what is the point? Some of what has been edited, as far as I can tell, are some of the things that make Anne real as a person, as a young teen.

 

 

 

The point to reading the "sanitized" version is that I think my son will enjoy the book more.  He has been to the Anne Frank house and is very interested in reading the diary.  I will, however, tell him that he is reading an edited version and that the other versions are sitting right over there on the shelf if he is interested in them. 

 

I think that for some preteen and early teen boys, reading about Anne's awakening sexuality will make them want to immediately shut a book that they might otherwise enjoy.

 

edited

[Lori D.]

I think that for some preteen and early teen boys, reading about Anne's awakening sexuality will make them want to immediately shut a book that they might otherwise enjoy.

 

 

Just to set people's minds at ease: It's pretty limited -- in only 2-3 spots, on a total of maybe 3-5 pages about 2/3rd to 3/4 of the way into the diary. But -- I totally get it. My teen DSs were NOT into the book at all.

[kalphs]

Have you looked at "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit?"
This historical fiction selection is authored by Judith Kerr (The Tiger Who Came to Tea) and tells her family's story of fleeing from Germany during the rise of Hitler,their time in Switzerland and France before immigrating to England.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Hitler_Stole_Pink_Rabbit

 

 

[DianeW88]

Just because I need to get this off my chest:  I don't like The Diary of Anne Frank.  Never have.  And I have not read it to any of my kids.  As an 8th grader, I found the book boring and I thought Anne was whiny and a bit bratty.  My opinion hasn't changed with time. I understand that this book has become a "classic", but I also think that if you want your child to have a bigger picture of the situation and circumstances of Jews during the Holocaust...you can do much better with other books.  Obviously, Anne's diary is very limiting due to her circumstances and her age.  She is 13, and the diary is very much a reflection of that (as it should be).  But there are more compelling volumes that provide a broader view and include more elements of history as well.

 

 

[Guest]

...   

Edited July 14, 2016 by Guest

[Catherine]

When I last did modern history 4 years ago, I found a recording of the Diary of Anne Frank that I had my son listen to, rather than read the book, and we will definitely do it again this year with youngest.

 

The reader, Susan Adams, had a wonderfully girlish voice and manner and totally brought the diary to life. We shed many teears. It's really worth considering.

[melbotoast]

One that hasn't been mentioned yet is The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss. It is about two teenage Jewish girls who go into hiding in Holland. 

[ocelotmom]

One that hasn't been mentioned yet is The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss. It is about two teenage Jewish girls who go into hiding in Holland. 

 

I was going to mention that one - it was one of my favorites, and I found it much more readable than Anne Frank.

 

As The Waltz Was Ending, by Emma Macalik Butterworth, is another that would be especially good for a teen girl.

 

Both books are autobiographical novels.

[Carol in Cal.]

Number the Stars is one of my favorite books for about 5-6th grade.  Even older kids should not miss it, IMO.

I have not seen anyone mention "Hitler" by Marrin, which is absolutely outstanding.

The combo of the two is perfect for that period.  "Hitler" also covers aspects of WWI, and the intervening period.  "Stalin" by the same author covers roughly the same period and is also excellent for a different perspective on that timeframe.

[Another Lynn]

Posting so I can find this thread again.  Also, I read Night as an adult, and I still wasn't ready for it.  I would definitely save it for highschool or later.

[swimmermom3]

I know this is an old thread, but this evening I had the same question as the OP. I had planned Diary of a Young Girl for the upcoming school year, but just finished reading it myself.  I have to agree with DianeW88. At first, I found it interesting, but quickly became bored with it.  I probably would not have finished the book if I were not previewing it for school.

 

Ruth in NZ, I have taken your advice and just ordered The Endless Steppe. I think it will be a much better choice for my dd. From the excerpts I read online, I know she will love this book.

 

Dd knows Anne Frank's story, so I will hang onto the book and let her decide if she wants to read it.   

 

I had not seen DianeW88's post when I was initially on the thread. I do you think you need to read the book for yourself in order to make the call. My much older self is far less enamored with The Diary of Anne Frank  than my 12 yo self was.

 

The Endless Steppe  is in many ways a much less complex book than The Diary of Anne Frank, yet all of my kids found it to be memorable, in part because while the threat of sending someone to Siberia is something my kids had heard, they had no concept of where the phrasing originated. Concentration camps and hiding from the Nazi's are themes that many middle and high school students are familiar with, but the "endless steppe" of Siberia is virtually an unknown topic to most of them.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I highly recommend The Boy on the Wooden Box. It is the autobiographical account of a man who survived thanks to Schindler. When I was previewing books for our modern history year, this one stuck out as my favorite for logic stage. I liked Number the Stars fine, but actually felt it was too gentle with the subject matter for older logic stage kids (probably perfect for mid-elementary and for very sensitive children). We will do Anne Frank also, although probably when we hit modern again when DD is older. I loved The Hiding Place but will save it for high school. I despised The Boy in the Striped Pajamas because, aside from the fact that it was completely implausible to me, I felt like I was supposed to be conflicted as to who to feel sorry for and, just blech.

[Lori D.]

Just posting to "bump" this thread, partly because there's some great book ideas and reviews from everyone.

 

 

(But mostly 'cause I want to know what Red Squirrel decided to do, and how it went…  :laugh: )

[Carol in Cal.]

For an advanced middle schooler through high schooler, I think that if you're looking for historical fiction about WWII books by Leon Uris should be on your list.  Preread though; they are written for adults.  Exodus, QBVII, and Battlecry come to mind.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Carol in Cal.