Denenberg, Barry. Shadow life: a portrait of Anne Frank and her family.

DENENBERG, Barry. Shadow life: a portrait of Anne Frank and her family. Scholastic. 240p. illus, notes, bibliog, c2005. 0-439-41678-7. $16.95. JS

The Diary of Anne Frank has become a classic piece of literature, providing a glimpse of the Holocaust through the eyes of a teenage girl. However, the story has always seemed incomplete. Denenberg's story not only bookends Anne's diary with a history of the Franks' prior life in Germany and Amsterdam and their various fates in camps scattered throughout Nazi territory, but also gives readers a new voice through the character of Margot, Anne's older sister. She, too, kept a diary, and through careful research of existing letters, Denenberg has created a fictional diary in Margot's writing voice that adds depth and detail to the story of the Franks' life in hiding.

The text is divided into four sections--Living, Hiding, Dying, and Surviving--that chronicle the Franks' lives from 1933 through 1945 and Otto Frank's life beyond then. In addition, Denenberg has included a detailed chronology of events, source notes, a biographical essay, and an extensive bibliography, as well as photos of Anne Frank and her family throughout the text. As a companion book to Diary or as a stand-alone volume, Shadow Life is a chilling reminder of the events of over 60 years ago that gave birth to both demons and heroes whose legacy we should never forget. Michele Winship, Asst. Prof., Capital Univ., Columbus, OH

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescent and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.