A Review of 'Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography' by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon

"Drawing on the unique historical sites, archives, expertise, and unquestioned authority of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the New York Times bestselling authors Sid Jocobsom and Ernie Colon have created the first authorized graphic biography of Anne Frank.  Their account is complete, covering the lives of Anne's parents, Edith and Otto; Anne's first years in Frankfurt; the rise of Nazism; the Frank's immigration to Amsterdam; war and occupation; Anne's years in the Secret Annex; betrayal and arrest; her deportation and tragic death in Bergen-Belsen; the survival of Anne's father; and his recovery and publication of her astounding diary."

I'm not even sure how I found this, but when I did find it, I was in love and I just had to have it.  A graphic novel-style biography of Anne Frank?  Yes please!  I mostly got this to read in the event that I have a classroom of my own and I want to teach The Diary of Anne Frank.  I think this graphic novel would make great supplementary material.

This book provides not only information about Anne's diary and about life and the people in the Secret Annex, but it provides historical context-- what Hitler has taken over, who's involved in the war now, which territories are in the most danger, etc.-- and it provides history that Anne doesn't really provide in her diary.  It even talks about what happened after the Franks and the van Pels were arrested and sent to various concentration camps around Europe.

If you're looking for a version of Anne Frank's story in more context, this is a great resource (teachers, I'm looking at you).

The pictures are great, the order everything was put in makes sense... I think this book will make kids excited about learning about Anne Frank and her diary.

I give 'Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude