Harriet Castor - Anne Frank

www.franklinwatts.co.uk This ebook edition published in 2011 Franklin Watts 338 Euston Road London NW1 3BH Franklin Watts Australia Level 17/207 Kent Street Sydney NSW 2000 Text first published as Famous People, Famous Lives: Anne Frank in 1999 1999 text Harriet Castor 1999 illustrations Helena Owen The right of the author to be identified
as the author of this work, has been asserted. The right of the illustrator to be identified
as the illustrator of this work, has been asserted. ISBN: 978 1 4451 1329 6 A CIP catalogue record for this book
is available from the British Library. Series editor: Sarah Peutrill Original series editor: Sarah Ridley Artwork: Helena Owen (line), Rory Walker (colour) Consultants: Dr Anne Millard and David Wray We thank the Anne Frank Foundation in Basle, Switzerland, for the basic rights. Franklin Watts is a division of Hachette Childrens Books, an Hachette UK company. www.hachette.co.uk

Anne Frank lived with her parents, her older sister Margot, and their cat in a flat in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.

Anne was bright and chatty, with lots of friends. Anne and her family were German and they were Jewish, too. They had left Germany when it was taken over by a man called Adolf Hitler and his followers, the Nazis. Hitler hated Jews and wanted to kill them all. In June 1942, Anne had her thirteenth birthday. But the best present of all was a diary. But the best present of all was a diary.

Anne had never had one before. She was delighted! Anne started writing in her diary. She made up a friend called Kitty, and wrote letters to her, describing her happy life in Amsterdam. Anne carried on writing to Kitty for the next two years, but during that time her life changed a great deal.

It was wartime. Hitler had sent his army to invade other countries in Europe.

People fought against them but the Germans carried on. When they invaded the Netherlands, life soon became very difficult for the Jewish people there. Hitler made lots of laws against Jews. They had to wear yellow stars. They couldnt have jobs. They werent allowed bicycles or cars.

They couldnt go out after eight oclock at night, even just to sit in their own gardens. Then the Nazis started taking Jews away to terrible places, called concentration camps, and a letter came to the Franks flat saying that they wanted to take Margot. Annes parents didnt want Margot to go. They were afraid of what would happen to her. They decided the whole family had to hide from the Nazis. So she packed a few belongings in her satchel, and put on as many clothes as she could. She wore a dress, a skirt, a jacket, some shorts, three pairs of pants, two vests and much more! Then Annes family went to live in the hiding place.

Mr Frank had prepared some rooms in the building where he used to work. Mr Frank had prepared some rooms in the building where he used to work.

They were at the back, upstairs. The entrance to them was hidden behind a bookcase. In her diary, Anne called the place the Secret Annex. Keeping the Annex a secret was very important, so Mr Frank told only a few of the office workers about it. They promised to help. One of them was Miep Gies.

Miep brought the Franks food, books and news from the outside world. Life in the Annex was strange. Anne described it in her diary. During the day, when there were office workers downstairs, the Franks had to be very quiet. They couldnt flush a toilet or run a tap until the workers went home for the night. Anne found it hard having to be quiet all the time.

She longed to go outside, and laugh and play in the sunshine. Anne often quarrelled with her mother and Margot. Sometimes she felt her diary was her only good friend.

Soon, another Jewish family came to hide with the Franks: Mr and Mrs van Pels and their son Peter. Later an eighth person joined them: a dentist called Mr Pfeffer. Anne had to share a room with Mr Pfeffer, which she didnt like at all.

Anne, Margot and Peter van Pels carried on with their lessons while they were in hiding. They hoped theyd soon be back at school, and they didnt want to get behind. Anne loved history, but she hated maths! Peter was two-and-a-half years older than Anne. At first she thought he was boring.

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