The Anne Frank Diary story details the life of a brave Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam during WWII. Anne and seven others lived in a secret annex for 761 days! This diary offers kids a personal look at courage during one of history's scariest times.
Imagine having to stay hidden in one small place for over two whole years, never seeing the sun or playing outside? That was the real-life adventure—and challenge—faced by a brave girl named Anne Frank!
Anne Frank’s diary is one of the most famous books ever written for kids and grown-ups! It tells the true story of a young Jewish girl living in Amsterdam during the scary time of World War II. Because of the terrible rules the Nazis were making, Anne and her family had to disappear into a secret hiding spot called the Secret Annex. She started writing her diary on her 13th birthday, June 12, 1942, but no one knew how long they would have to stay hidden. This diary became her best friend and the way she told the world what it was like to live in secret.
Mira says:
"Wow, keeping a secret like that for so long is almost unbelievable! I think what’s so amazing is that even when she was scared, Anne still found time to write down her hopes and dreams, almost like she knew her words mattered. That takes a lot of courage, history explorers!"
What is the Secret Annex?
The Secret Annex, or *Het Achterhuis* in Dutch, wasn't a fancy hideout—it was a tiny, secret space hidden in the back of Anne's father's office building in Amsterdam. It was so secret that the entrance was covered by a movable bookcase!
Anne, her sister Margot, their parents, and four other people squeezed into this small space. They couldn't make much noise, open the windows, or go outside for fear of being discovered by the Nazis. They had to rely on trusted friends, called helpers, to bring them food and news from the outside world.
Mind-Blowing Fact!
Anne often wrote her diary entries to a friend she called 'Dear Kitty.' Kitty wasn't a real person—she was the imaginary friend Anne created in the pages of her journal!
How Long Did Anne Frank Hide?
Anne and the others were hidden away for a long, long time. They went into the Secret Annex in July 1942. Think about how much you change from age 13 to 15—Anne grew up almost entirely inside those hidden rooms! They stayed there for over two years, which is about 761 days!
Anne wrote in her diary faithfully during this time, recording everything from arguments over food to her deepest thoughts about growing up. Sadly, their time in hiding ended when someone told the Nazis where they were. They were discovered and arrested on August 4, 1944.
(Approx. 761 Days)
In the Annex
When Diary Began
First Edition
How Did Anne’s Diary Become a Famous Book?
When Anne was in hiding, she heard a radio broadcast from the Dutch government telling people to save their diaries and letters as proof of what was happening during the war. Anne loved this idea! She started to rewrite and edit her diary, hoping to publish it as a book after the war was over.
Tragically, Anne did not survive the war; she passed away in a concentration camp in early 1945, just before her sixteenth birthday. The only person from the Secret Annex to survive was her father, Otto Frank.
The Diary’s Journey to Print
When the war ended, one of the helpers, Miep Gies, gave Otto the stack of papers that were Anne's diary, which she had saved from the Annex. Otto honored his daughter's wish. He carefully put together the two versions Anne had written—her original diary and her edited version.
The first version of her diary was published in Dutch in 1947! Since then, it has been translated into over 70 languages, making it one of the most-read books in the world for kids and everyone else!
💡 Did You Know?
For a long time, the world only read a version of the diary that Otto had edited. But later, researchers found even more pages that Anne had written, including two pages she covered up herself with paper because they talked about more grown-up things, like jokes and her changing body!
🎯 Quick Quiz!
What object was used to hide the entrance to the Secret Annex?
Why Do We Still Read Anne Frank’s Story Today?
We read Anne Frank’s diary for kids because it reminds us of the amazing power of one person's voice. Even when trapped and scared, Anne wrote about being hopeful, about wanting to be a good person, and about her dreams for the future.
Her diary helps us understand the terrible human cost of discrimination and war, teaching us important lessons about tolerance, empathy, and fighting for fairness for all people.
- The Holocaust was the genocide during World War II where the Nazis systematically murdered about six million European Jews.
- Anne Frank was born in 1929 in Germany, but her family moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands, to escape the Nazis.
- The eight people hiding included the Frank family, the Van Pels family (three people), and one other person, Fritz Pfeffer.
Anne Frank's diary is more than just a historical document; it’s a story about a normal teenager dealing with extraordinary circumstances. It shows us that even in the darkest times, hope, and the desire to be heard, can shine through!
Questions Kids Ask About World War II
Keep Her Voice Alive!
The story of Anne Frank’s diary reminds us that history is made up of individual people with big thoughts and feelings. Keep learning about World War II and always remember to stand up for what is right, just like Anne stood up for her voice through her writing!
