Understanding Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series) [Hardcover]

Hedda Rosner Kopf (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313296073 | ISBN-13: 978-0313296079 | Publication Date: August 30, 1997

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl is the most widely read text about the Holocaust, yet it reveals only one example of the tragic consequences of the Nazi policy to eliminate the Jews. This casebook enriches Anne Frank's remarkable personal account with a variety of historical documents that illuminate the political and social context of anti-Semitism in Germany and the Holocaust. It includes an account of the Frank family's life in Germany before emigrating to Holland; first-person accounts of Anne's last seven months in deportation and concentration camps; other Holocaust narratives in the form of memoirs, letters, and children's diaries; an excerpt from Zlata's Diary, the story of a young girl caught in the war in Bosnia which has been compared to Anne Frank's; official Nazi pronouncements on "The Final Solution" to the Jews; and newspaper reports and editorials of the horrific events occurring between 1939 and 1945. All of these materials will help the student to better understand the historical context of Anne's experience, and the teacher to select appropriate materials to sensitize students to this period in history. Documents and discussion materials are organized into chapters on the Frank family history, including a chronology; the Jews in Holland; children in the Holocaust and their rescuers; a narrative overview and chronology of anti-Semitism in modern Germany; the Holocaust; and other Holocaust stories. Kopf also addresses the psychological issues of adolescent development so dramatically illustrated in Anne's diary and looks at her writing as carefully crafted literature. Each chapter contains study questions, topics for research papers and class discussions, and lists of further reading for exploring the historical as well as the personal issues leading to and culminating in the Holocaust. This is an invaluable source for interdisciplinary, English, and world history classes.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up?Kopf examines many factors that will help readers develop a fuller understanding of and appreciation for this literary work. Various chapters explore the diary as literature, the history of the Frank family, Anne's childhood, the plight of Holland's Jewish population, rescuers of Holocaust children, and anti-Semitism in modern Germany. Primary texts, such as diaries and letters of other Holocaust children; excerpts from the Nuremberg Laws; minutes of the Wannsee Conference; and articles from the New York Times, are used extensively throughout the book. The author writes compassionately yet objectively, and her moving prose helps carry readers through the rich collection of materials. Each chapter concludes with imaginative and thought-provoking "Topics for Written or Oral Exploration" and most also include an extensive selection of suggested readings. Pertinent maps and black-and-white photos supplement the text. Students researching Anne Frank or the Holocaust will make extensive use of this resource. English and history teachers, however, may be the biggest users.?Marilyn Heath, Greenwood High School, SC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“The author writes compassionately yet objectively, and her moving prose helps carry readers through the rich collection of materials....Students researching Anne Frank or the Holocaust will make extensive use of this resource.”–School Library Journal

“This is an excellent resource for interdisciplinary courses, especially in the humanities.”–The Book Report

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (August 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313296073
• ISBN-13: 978-0313296079
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,447,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true learning experience!, January 29, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Cheshire, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series) (Hardcover)

First of all, the author of this book, Hedda Rosner Kopf, is my aunt. And the "Other Holocaust Story" about Anna Gelbman is about my grandmother. Living in a jewish family which has grown with the realism of the holocaust I would have expected myself to know quite a bit about the events of the Holocaust. I am familar with The Diary of Anne Frank; the dairy itself, the play, etc. But, while reading this book I learned a lot about the holocaust that surprised me. Mostly, because I was not aware of it. The book is extremely well written, and a wonderful source of information about Anne Frank's life and the rest of the holocaust. It give facts and opinions, as well as allows you to question your own knowledge and beliefs about the Holocaust. It's a wonderful tool for anyone teaching the Diary of Anne Frank or a student doing a research project on the subject. I feel that it is a terrific book regardless of my relationship to the author. If you have an interest is the Holocaust, Anne Frank, or any other people in her situation like Zlata Filipovik who lived in Sarajevo (Zlata's Diary is an excellent book, too); you should definetly read this book. Thank you for your time.

5.0 out of 5 stars Meloncoly touched my soul., September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Understanding Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series) (Hardcover)

When I read this book all I could feel is tears coming to my eyes as I read the book of a life time.I think the saddest part was the end when they were all talk ing about how much they were going to enjoy life.But while their thoughts were in heaven hell(The Nazies)Were donw stairs.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Will go a long way toward smartening-up the discourse ..., January 12, 1998

By 

Arnold Lapidus (Tobyhanna,PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Understanding Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series) (Hardcover)

In the 10/7/97 New Yorker, Cynthia Ozick's "Who Owns Anne Frank?" notes that the Anne Frank story has been "bowdlerized, distorted, transmuted, traduced, reduced; ... infantilized, Americanized, homogenized, sentimentalized; falsified, kitchified, and ... arrogantly denied."

This book "Understanding Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl" balances some of the distortions weighing on the Anne Frank industry by presenting sources, settings, and historical documents which should go a long way toward smartening-up the discourse with true facts. It deserves a ten on the Amazon.com scale for content, readability, and responsible creativity.