Excerpt
Introduction
Anne Frank was a real girl who lived during a time when the world was in great danger. She wasn’t a queen, a scientist, or a famous leader. She was a regular girl who had dreams, worries, and favorite things, just like any other child. But something set her apart—her words.
She wrote in a diary, not knowing that her words would travel across the world, be read by millions, and help people understand what life was like for Jewish families during World War II. She didn’t plan to become famous. She just wrote what she felt, and because of that, we know her story today.
People often think of history as something that only belongs to textbooks, filled with dates and facts about events that happened long ago. But history is made up of real people—people who laughed, cried, and had hopes for the future. Anne Frank is one of those people. Her diary gives us a glimpse into what it was like to live in hiding during a time when the world was very dangerous for Jewish families.
Most stories about the past are written by adults looking back at what happened. But Anne’s diary is different. She wrote it while everything was happening around her. She didn’t know what the future held. She didn’t know what would happen to her family or how long they would have to stay hidden. That makes her story even more powerful. It’s not someone looking back with all the answers—it’s the voice of a young girl living through the unknown, writing about her fears, frustrations, and dreams as they happened.
Anne was born in 1929, in Germany, at a time when things were starting to change. People were struggling with money, and new leaders were coming into power. One of those leaders, Adolf Hitler, blamed Jewish people for problems they had nothing to do with. He spread lies and made rules that took away the rights of Jewish families, including Anne’s. Her parents made the difficult decision to leave Germany and move to the Netherlands, hoping they would be safer there.
For a while, life in Amsterdam was peaceful. Anne made friends, went to school, and enjoyed her favorite books. But then the war reached the Netherlands, and everything changed again. New rules took away her freedom. She wasn’t allowed to go to certain places, her father had to give up his business, and Jewish people were no longer treated as equals. Eventually, it became clear that her family was in danger, and they had no choice but to hide.
This is where Anne’s diary becomes so important. It shows what life was like when her family went into hiding in a secret apartment, known as the Secret Annex. For more than two years, she wrote about her life—what she thought, what she hoped for, and how she felt about the world. She didn’t just write about the war. She wrote about missing fresh air, about arguments with the other people in hiding, about feeling trapped, and about growing up in a space where there was no privacy.
Anne was honest. She didn’t try to make herself sound perfect. She wrote about her emotions, whether she was feeling hopeful or frustrated. She questioned the world around her and thought about big ideas—about people, about fairness, and about what she wanted her life to be like when the war was over.
One of the most powerful things about her diary is that it reminds people that history isn’t just about leaders and battles. It’s about families, friendships, and the choices people had to make to survive. When people read Anne’s words, they don’t just learn about what happened during World War II. They connect with her as a person, as if she’s speaking directly to them across time.
Her diary was never meant to be famous. She started writing for herself, but as time went on, she began hoping that one day, her words would be published. She wanted people to know what it was like to live in hiding. She wanted to share her thoughts with the world.
After the war, Anne’s father, Otto Frank, found her diary and made the difficult decision to share it with others. It was heartbreaking for him to read her words, but he knew they were important. When her diary was published, it changed the way people understood what happened during the Holocaust. It wasn’t just numbers and statistics anymore—it was a real girl’s experience.
Anne Frank was a real girl who lived during a time when the world was in great danger. She wasn’t a queen, a scientist, or a famous leader. She was a regular girl who had dreams, worries, and favorite things, just like any other child. But something set her apart—her words.
She wrote in a diary, not knowing that her words would travel across the world, be read by millions, and help people understand what life was like for Jewish families during World War II. She didn’t plan to become famous. She just wrote what she felt, and because of that, we know her story today.
People often think of history as something that only belongs to textbooks, filled with dates and facts about events that happened long ago. But history is made up of real people—people who laughed, cried, and had hopes for the future. Anne Frank is one of those people. Her diary gives us a glimpse into what it was like to live in hiding during a time when the world was very dangerous for Jewish families.
Most stories about the past are written by adults looking back at what happened. But Anne’s diary is different. She wrote it while everything was happening around her. She didn’t know what the future held. She didn’t know what would happen to her family or how long they would have to stay hidden. That makes her story even more powerful. It’s not someone looking back with all the answers—it’s the voice of a young girl living through the unknown, writing about her fears, frustrations, and dreams as they happened.
Anne was born in 1929, in Germany, at a time when things were starting to change. People were struggling with money, and new leaders were coming into power. One of those leaders, Adolf Hitler, blamed Jewish people for problems they had nothing to do with. He spread lies and made rules that took away the rights of Jewish families, including Anne’s. Her parents made the difficult decision to leave Germany and move to the Netherlands, hoping they would be safer there.
For a while, life in Amsterdam was peaceful. Anne made friends, went to school, and enjoyed her favorite books. But then the war reached the Netherlands, and everything changed again. New rules took away her freedom. She wasn’t allowed to go to certain places, her father had to give up his business, and Jewish people were no longer treated as equals. Eventually, it became clear that her family was in danger, and they had no choice but to hide.
This is where Anne’s diary becomes so important. It shows what life was like when her family went into hiding in a secret apartment, known as the Secret Annex. For more than two years, she wrote about her life—what she thought, what she hoped for, and how she felt about the world. She didn’t just write about the war. She wrote about missing fresh air, about arguments with the other people in hiding, about feeling trapped, and about growing up in a space where there was no privacy.
Anne was honest. She didn’t try to make herself sound perfect. She wrote about her emotions, whether she was feeling hopeful or frustrated. She questioned the world around her and thought about big ideas—about people, about fairness, and about what she wanted her life to be like when the war was over.
One of the most powerful things about her diary is that it reminds people that history isn’t just about leaders and battles. It’s about families, friendships, and the choices people had to make to survive. When people read Anne’s words, they don’t just learn about what happened during World War II. They connect with her as a person, as if she’s speaking directly to them across time.
Her diary was never meant to be famous. She started writing for herself, but as time went on, she began hoping that one day, her words would be published. She wanted people to know what it was like to live in hiding. She wanted to share her thoughts with the world.
After the war, Anne’s father, Otto Frank, found her diary and made the difficult decision to share it with others. It was heartbreaking for him to read her words, but he knew they were important. When her diary was published, it changed the way people understood what happened during the Holocaust. It wasn’t just numbers and statistics anymore—it was a real girl’s experience.