Submitted by: Claire Polcrack
Generally, what inspires you to read?
Reading was a part of my family structure growing up. My mother or father always read us a story before we went to bed and I have continued to this day to prefer ending my day with a good book. I think that reading allows me to learn more about myself and other’s perspectives in addition to escaping to different worlds and places.
When did you first read Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl?
In fourth grade, I only remember that because I recall the bag I spilled my orange juice on which, to this day, still has left its impact upon my copy of the book.
How did you come to read this book?
I believe my mother and I were looking through a monthly scholastic book sale catalog that my school sent each month and she saw it and exclaimed about what a good book it was and how much she enjoyed reading it as a girl.
Why has this book inspired you the most?
Reading this book was my first real experience looking into the mind of another REAL young woman. I had read plenty of fictional stories describing the problems of heroines and their lives, but never what the dilemmas of another young woman looked like and what her fears, worries, and obsessions looked like. It was the realization that other girls were very similar to me, not entirely confident in themselves, and yet trusting in their own worth and skills.
In reading this book, how has your life been influenced or changed?
This book helped to make the realities and impact of WWII and prejudice to life for me. Learning about history from a history book is one thing, but actually living it through the diary of Anne Frank was entirely another. The ability of Anne and her fellow hidden companions to try and continue as normal a life as possible was inspiring to me. Seeing Anne’s transformation from awkward preteen to her more mature attitude and writing as a young woman allowed me to see my own possibilities as a woman.
