I Am Anne Frank

Summary

I Am Anne Frank, part of Brad Meltzer’s Ordinary People Change the World series, tells the story of Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl whose diary has become one of the most widely read accounts of the Holocaust. Told in an age-appropriate way, the book introduces children to Anne’s life, her time in hiding, and her enduring hope and humanity even during terrible circumstances. Through Anne’s voice, young readers encounter themes of resilience, fairness, prejudice, and the importance of remembering history.

Sensitivity Note: This story introduces young readers to the Holocaust, including prejudice, exclusion, and violence against Jewish people. While the book is designed for children, some may find the themes distressing. Facilitators should introduce the story with care, creating space for questions and feelings. Emphasize Anne’s resilience, her hope, and her humanity, while acknowledging the seriousness of the injustice she faced.

Guidelines for Discussion

I Am Anne Frank provides children with an accessible entry point into some of the most profound ethical and philosophical questions of human life. A facilitator does not need to be a historian or philosopher to guide discussion; being attentive to the book’s central themes of fairness, prejudice, resilience, and memory is enough.

One central theme is fairness and justice. Anne was treated differently simply because of her Jewish identity, raising the question: what does it mean to treat people fairly? Facilitators can encourage children to think about why discrimination is unjust and what it means to uphold human dignity. This helps children see that fairness is not just about equal treatment, but also about protecting people from harm and exclusion.

Another important theme is prejudice and discrimination. Anne’s story shows how prejudice can escalate from unfair treatment to systemic injustice. With sensitivity, facilitators can help children reflect on how prejudice begins, why people might hold unfair beliefs about others, and how such beliefs can cause harm. Children may be encouraged to think about times they have seen unfairness in their own lives and what they can do to challenge it.

The story also highlights hope and resilience. Despite the terrible conditions she lived through, Anne continued to write and dream about a better future. This invites children to think about what it means to remain hopeful in the face of difficulty, and whether hope can be a source of strength. Facilitators can link this to children’s own experiences of facing challenges—big or small—and finding ways to persevere.

Finally, the book raises the theme of memory and responsibility. Anne’s diary continues to be read around the world, reminding us of the importance of remembering the past. Facilitators can ask children why it is important to tell and retell stories of injustice, and how remembering history can help us build a more just and compassionate future.

By exploring these themes, children can begin to grapple with big questions of fairness, prejudice, resilience, and memory in an age-appropriate way, while seeing Anne Frank not just as a figure from history but as a young person with hopes and dreams much like their own.

Discussion Questions

Fairness and Justice

1. Was it fair for Anne and her family to be treated differently because they were Jewish?
2. What does it mean to treat people fairly?
3. How can we tell if a rule or law is fair or unfair?

Prejudice and Discrimination

1. Why do people sometimes treat others unfairly because of who they are?
2. What harm can prejudice cause to individuals and communities?
3. How can we challenge prejudice when we see it?

Hope and Resilience

1. How did Anne show hope in her writing?
2. Can hope help people through difficult times? How?
3. Have you ever felt hopeful when facing something hard?

Memory and Responsibility

1. Why is it important to remember Anne Frank’s story?
2. What can we learn from remembering past injustices?
3. How can remembering history help us make the world more fair today?

Suggested Activity: Windows of Hope

Explain to students that Anne often looked out the window from her hiding place and dreamed of freedom and a better world. Invite students to imagine their own “window of hope.”

Give each student a sheet of paper and ask them to draw a window frame. Inside the frame, they should illustrate or write about what they would want to see if they were looking out a window that showed them hope—this might be an image of peace, fairness, friendship, or something they dream about for their future. Encourage students to think about Anne’s perspective: how imagining hopeful things helped her stay strong in difficult times.

When the windows are complete, display them around the classroom as a “Gallery of Hope.” Facilitate a reflective conversation by asking: What did you draw in your window? Why does this give you hope? How can imagining hopeful things help us when we face challenges?

This activity not only honors Anne’s own way of coping but also gives students a chance to use imagination and creativity to connect hope with resilience.