I’m sure most adults are familiar with the tragic story of Anne Frank and her family. Most adults have also probably read the book in high school as a reading assignment. To be sure, the story is depressing, tragic, and at times, unreal. After all, it is difficult to imagine a time when people where being killed for professing a certain religious belief.
Irrespective of when you last read Anne Frank, read it again as an adult. More pointedly, as a parent. It will change your mindset. My heart hurts that a young girl is forced to hide for so long only to ultimately perish in one of the worst ways possible. As a mother with a daughter of a similar age, it hurts that the girl doesnt have the best relationship with her own mother.
If this is such a classic book, why then is it on the banned book list? To be sure, the story of The Holocaust is grossly violent, but most people believe it is truth and history so worthy of being studied. To be sure, everyone knows the young Anne dies in the end, which is tragic. This story, however, contains more than these facts: it’s a story about relationships and the girl’s view of the world.
Anne’s death isn’t described in detail unlike much teen literature that’s available today. There is also no description of violence, no sex, and no vampires: reasons which other books have been banned. Challengers to the book claim that some versions of Anne Frank’s book contain sexually explicit and homosexual scenes. The version I had did not contain those scenes. And so what if they did?
Regardless of the version you read, you cannot ban this book because some versions have scenes which you find objectionable or because of violent back stories. It is your right as a parent to choose what your child reads. You cannot choose what other people’s children read.
Books want to be freely read. Agree? Disagree? Want more? Go see what others are reading and talking about this week!
P.S. There is a newish book out, fiction, I believe, about her sister Margot. Has anyone read it?
I give this book and other banned books 4 paws!
