The authors of the comics adaptation of The 9/11 Report (2006) offer a well-documented and insightful biography of history's most famous child diarist. Beginning a generation before Anne's birth in 1929 and continuing through the literary and multimedia means by which her diary has been introduced to readers aronud the globe, the story moves with unrushed pacing that gives the harrowing end to Anne's brief life a palpable context that will touch even those familiar with her story. Jacobson and Colón relied on a plethora of photographic and written documents, including the unexpurgated version of Anne's diary, part of which had been suppressed by her father during his lifetime. Panel arrangements effectively show simultaneous events happening in the life of the family and in the world, while brief "snapshots" provide enough historical information to make motives, fears, and expectations sensible to anyone unfamiliar with the Holocaust's machinery. More than simply poignant, this biography elucidates the complex emotional aspects of living a sequestered adolescence as a brilliant, budding writer. Naturally, this book has significant appeal for teens as well as adults.

The team that created the bestselling The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation reunites to produce a stunning biography of Anne Frank, a book as historically rigorous as it is personally engaging. The story begins with the youths of Anne's parents, Otto and Edith, then traces the family's trajectory through WWI, into WWII, and finally beyond it to Otto's postwar activities and his death in 1980. Anne's childhood is portrayed against the background of the Depression and the rise of Nazism. The narration mixes historical background and informative ""snapshots"" of events like Germany's Nuremberg Laws of 1935, Kristallnacht, and the concentration camps, with details about the Franks and their household. Personality and life are added not just through Anne's oft-quoted diary but other contemporary memoirs and narratives%E2%80%94all listed in a bibliography%E2%80%94along with a chronology of world events and Anne's life. The combination of history, memoir, and richly detailed graphic representations creates a powerful whole, a beautiful and important graphic novel that will be enjoyed by adults and children alike. (Sept.)

Gr 6-10 This graphic biography by the creators of The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation (Hill and Wang, 2006) will introduce a new group of readers to the tragic and inspiring world of Anne Frank. Rather than focus solely on her famous diary, Jacobson and Col&3;n trace Anne's history beginning with her parents' early lives, the family's frequent relocations, the move into the Secret Annex, and the final fates of Anne and the other "hiders." Along the way, they add in factual information to contextualize the events. The full-color artwork does a good job of conveying Anne's world, family, and friends. A list of the people appearing in the story would have been helpful, especially when considering that the Dutch and German names will be unfamiliar to most readers. Overall, this is a high-quality, important work that should find a place in most libraries Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada