Anne Frank - how would you explain the story to a 9 year old?

[Earlybird]

We are going to see a play at a children's theatre called 'The Diary of Anne Frank', and I want to speak to dd about the story before we go.

How would you explain what happened to the Jews in World War Two, and what would you say about Anne Frank?

I wouldn't take a 9yo to see it tbh, I think she is still a young child and has the rest of her life to be confronted with pain, suffering and violence

but if you are going to take her to see it I would recommend you read the book and try to summarise the story as best you can, warning her that it will be upsetting and frightening.

I have always been aware of the story of Anne Frank - possibly from that age but certainly by 11-12. Depending on the personality of your dd it can be a very good way to introduce the world to a child.
I would explain in honest but simple terms making clear but the people who caused the crimes had absolutely so excuse for what they did and that it is good that steps can now be taken to try and prevent something like that happening ever again.
Raises important issues if respect all people.

As it is seem through a child's eyes it is easier to digest and much of the fasination is hearing Anne Franks take on life and her surrounding rather than the holocaust.

I find it much more upsetting as an adult than as a child.

I honestly can't imagine how they will tell the story in a way that children can handle without being too upset.....but it is a production at a children's theatre.....

A friend has extra tickets and asked if we wanted to come. I said yes because we were free, without thinking it through...and I know I need to give dd some background before we go.

I think the great thing about the Anne Frank story though is that the violence is not there in the story - the war is, the increasing restrictions on the freedoms of Jews is, and then their incarceration in hiding is, but it is always from the perspective of a young girl. The diary ends when they are taken away so you don't ever hear about the concentration camp from Anne, and I imagine you won't in the theatre production. So I think it is possibly the best way of introducing the what happened to the Jews in World War 2 as the violence is around the edges but the story is about Anne.

Having said that, 9 may be a little early unless your daughter is relatively mature and thoughtful for her age. I was, and think I read Anne Frank around the age of 9/10 but I know for example that my brother would not have been able to deal with it until he was a bit older.

I agree with popcorn actually - the story is much more upsetting now as an adult and a parent. When I was younger it was more about drawing similarities between me and Anne so my focus seemed to be on how unfair it was to restrict someone like me from living her life as she chose just because she was Jewish. The concentration camps didn't really come into it then. I didn't have the maturity then to begin to imagine the sheer horror of what the Nazis inflicted on the Jews, and probably didn't ever quite get that until I went to Auschwitz when I was 25. So your DD may oddly not actually be as upset as you might be.

DD bought the Diary of Anne Frank when she was 8 or 9 and read it cover-to-cover.

She is very interested in everything to do with WW1 and WW2 and has read/been to exhibitions/watched stuff on TV/asked grandma/learned at school loads about both the wars.

She already knew the gist of the story and we talked about it - she asked questions - whilst she was reading it. She has subsequently been to Anne Franks house and watched the TV version. She is now 10 and has re-read the book as she said there were some bits she didn't understand the first time.

So I agree with Meg that your DD would take what she could understand from the story, and the wider ramifications would probably go over her head until she is older.