"Anne Frank and Me" by Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld

While preparing to write this review, I was surprised by the negativity of  the editorial reviews and the overwhelmingly high number of positive reviews from readers.  This is a work of fiction and should be read as such.  It is not meant to be a biography of Anne Frank nor should it be read for that reason.  It is purely the story of a fictional person living through events that took place in real life (just like many, many other books).

Anne Frank and Me by Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld focuses on a teenage girl named Nicole.  The book begins with Nicole shirking off school assignments (both in school and out) in favor of daydreaming about the boy of her dreams, Jack, and developing her website, Notes from Girl X.  It is clear that Nicole is intelligent, but often wants to take the easy way out.  Instead of reading The Diary of Anne Frank for class, she visits various websites, stumbling across one arguing that the diary was not written by the teen during the Holocaust, but is instead a work of fiction.  Nicole and her sister begin to question why she would be required to read a "fake."

The next day, Nicole's class visits the traveling exhibit, Anne Frank in the World and her life turns upside down.  When shots ring out and her classmates being to panic, Nicole is caught in the mob of people and blacks out.  When she wakes up, she is no longer in modern day America, but is now a Jewish girl living in occupied Paris, France.  Convinced she is an American from the future, but with no way to get back, Nicole suddenly must figure out how to survive the Nazi occupation.  More than once she finds her life in grave danger and begins a journey that will change her forever.

I have read this book many times.  Every time, I cannot put it down until I have read it cover to cover.  I find it engaging, gut wrenching, and inspiring.  It is a very powerful book and once you've read it, you won't soon forget it.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, read by Blair Brown

I first read Number the Stars as part of a class assignment when I was in the sixth grade. As I recall, I had already read some of Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik books before this (yet another series I recommended, especially to young girls who love sassy, spunky, and fun characters). Since that time, this is book that often makes it to my “to be read again” pile.

I recently listened to the audio version of this wonderful book. I was amazed at just how quickly I went through it (I'm used to audio books such as Harry Potter with more than three cds) but still enjoyed the story as much as always.

Number the Stars tells the story of Annemarie, and young girl from Copenhagen, growing up amidst the soldiers and other changes that came with the Nazi invasion of World War II. Annemarie spends her days practicing for races at school, playing paper dolls with her best friend Ellen, and making up stories to tell to her younger sister Kirsti. Though much has changed, it has little effect on Annemarie's everyday life until word comes that all of the Jewish citizens are going to be “relocated.” Ellen is Jewish.

Annemarie's parents immediately take Ellen in, pretending she is their own daughter and make plans to hide her from the Nazi's. Throughout the novel, Annemarie must conquer her fears to help save her friend and get her to Sweden.

This novel is a great novel for late elementary and middle school readers to be introduced to the history of WWII. Shortly after reading it, I discovered The Diary of Anne Frank which has since led me to read many books on the holocaust and other topics of the time. I would hope that other readers would use this book as a stepping stone to find more pieces literature, both fiction and non-fiction (and by listening to the audio version, families are able to easily share this book together) Readers who enjoy this book will likely enjoy Lowry's other Newbery winner, The Giver and it's companions Gathering Blue and Messenger.

Happy Reading!

-Melly