(2) YA Thirteen-year-old Liv lives with her parents in England. When she's tasked with a family history assignment for school, she decides to investigate her ninety-two-year-old grandmother. While helping Bubbe move into an assisted living facility, Liv discovers a secret chest from her grandmother's past and learns more than she bargained for. A second story unfolds in alternating chapters: twelve-year-old Mila and her older sister, Hannie, live in Holland in 1942, but since they are Jewish and the Nazis have taken over the country, they do not live with their parents. Rather, they have assumed different identities, hiding in plain sight with a non-Jewish foster family in Amsterdam. Hannie gets drawn into the Dutch resistance with grave consequences; she is the titular Kingfisher. It's quickly revealed that Mila is, in fact, Liv's grandmother, but Kessler makes readers wait to learn the entire story, using lots of dialogue, a notably fast pace, four viewpoint characters, and several dozen short chapters to further develop suspense. An engrossing read, one that provides depth to the Dutch experience during the Holocaust beyond Anne Frank and her famous diary.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) K-3 Translated by Annette Appel. Illustrated by Avi Ofer. A teddy bear on display in Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust museum, narrates this picture book based on a true story from the Holocaust. The stuffed bear recalls his journey with young owner Fred from their home in Delft, Holland, to Fred's grandfather's house in Amsterdam--the family has been warned that "people would come and force us to leave"--and eventually to a stranger's home for the duration of the war. Short lines of text are surrounded by plenty of white space. The loose-lined, digital illustrations are similarly spare, though the light brown of the visibly well-loved Bear and the yellow of the stars sewn onto Jewish characters' clothing stand out. That the events are seen through innocent eyes allows for the posing of basic questions: "Why did we have to hide?" and "Why couldn't [Fred] tell anyone who he was? Did he do something bad?" A historical note at the front provides more specific information about the Holocaust, making the book useful as a discussion starter for those new to this part of history. Back matter includes an author's note and a letter from "Fred's Bear" (complete with photo), establishing both title characters as real figures.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(3) K-3 Ordinary People Change the World series. Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. "With eight of us crammed together, our world was very small. But if you look for what's good, you'll find it." In a friendly first-person text (drawn from the diary as much as possible), a cartoon Anne Frank tells readers about her childhood in Nazi Germany, her Jewish family's escape to Amsterdam, and their time spent in hiding during the Holocaust. Eliopoulos's comic-style illustrations help deliver the grim facts of the time and place; Anne's inimitable spirit comes through in both the text and art. Archival photos, a timeline, bibliography, and reading list enhance the presentation.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Drummond (Energy Island; Green City) takes young readers to Amsterdam, a city that turned automobile- and carbon monoxide–clogged streets into bicycle- and family-friendly boulevards. His straightforward text and near-impressionistic illustrations show citizens, led by activist Maartje Rutten, who took to the streets (on bicycles) in the 1970s to protest constructing more roads for automobiles. As a united community, they effected worldwide change. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Peter McCarty. The tree outside Anne Frank's annex window observes her life there, taking on a central symbolic role as it relates the iconic story. With its focus on symbolism and lyricism and its strangely peaceful tone, this might serve as a gentle introduction to Holocaust history, but its vagueness is problematic. Sepia-toned ink illustrations suggest the sadness and distance of old photographs.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) YA In 1943 Amsterdam, Hanneke nurses a broken heart--her boyfriend has died in the war--while delivering black market goods (foodstuffs, cigarettes, etc.) to her neighbors. One customer, Mrs. Janssen, implores Hanneke to find a missing girl whom the woman had been sheltering, leading to an engaging mystery that shakes Hanneke from her emotional stupor. An author's note includes useful information about the Dutch Resistance.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) YA In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, fifteen-year-old Tygo (under duress) loots abandoned Dutch homes for the Germans. On the job, he discovers a girl in hiding who provides another perspective on his desperate plight. Osborne's somewhat loose approach to historical events embraces "what if" scenarios; in this case, a last-ditch attempt by Hitler to attack New York. A cinematic read with plenty of action and adventure. Historical note appended.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Zoom In on Great Women series. The lives of six diverse, inspirational women--three of whom (Goodall, Yousafzai, and Winfrey) are still living--are summarized in this series, which aligns to Common Core Standards. Though only broadly chronicling their challenges and/or accomplishments, these offerings may spur interest in further study. The archival photographs included are noteworthy, and lists of quick stats and key dates are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Zoom In on Great Women titles: Anne Frank, Jane Goodall, Malala Yousafzai, Mother Teresa, Oprah Winfrey, and Rosa Parks.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) YA Translated by Laura Watkinson. Dutch fifteen-year-old Emilia de Wit, humiliated by a scandal involving her father and needing to reestablish control over her own life, makes a statement by running away to NYC. But plans fall through, and Emilia finds herself relying on the kindness of strangers as Hurricane Sandy bears down on the city. An unrealistic premise is balanced by action and a likable heroine.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) K-3 History Makers series. REVIEW MISSING

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(1) YA This audacious novel is Peter van Pels's first-person, present-tense chronicle of life in the Annex with the Frank family. Interspersed are his thoughts in the Mauthausen concentration camp, where he reflects on the fate of his parents and Anne's family. The novel provides a new look at Anne Frank--speculative, of course, but in no way contradicting her own famous diary.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(2) 4-6 Translated by Arnold J. Pomerans. The beginning of this extraordinary little book functions essentially as a family photo album. In the 1942–1944 ("In hiding") section, the authors use diary excerpts, augmented with helpful explanations, while the photographs go inside the Secret Annex. The book's conclusion describes Anne's tragic death and the publication of her diary. Goosebump-inducingly immediate, it's a treasure for everyone inspired by Anne's story. Glos.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2010

(3) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. Rich with facts, these biographies go beyond basic information and personal mythologies to reveal the lasting achievements and human foibles of six incredible women. Each thoughtfully designed volume draws readers in, vividly bringing to life the various places and times, from Joan of Arc's fifteenth-century France to Amelia Earhart's twentieth-century America, through informational sidebars, photographs, and document reproductions. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biographies titles: Helen Keller, Cleopatra, Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Anne Frank, and Joan of Arc.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Lane. Titus, Rembrandt's only son (and the subject of a famous painting), wanted to draw like his father. After a few false starts in the studio (due to his feisty pet monkey and dogs), Titus eventually became an apprentice, though never a serious artist. Historical information is included, sometimes awkwardly, in this tale depicting a warm father-son relationship. Stiff paintings illustrate the story.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) YA Cullen explores Rembrandt's innovative art and unconventional behavior through the eyes of his illegitimate daughter. The novel's tangle of relationships is worthy of a soap opera, but young Cornelia's pragmatic attitude toward her father's work and her deep emotional attachment to her family make her a convincing narrator. An author's note and a list of notable Rembrandt paintings are appended.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) YA The familiar story of the life and death of Anne Frank provides a focal point for a broader look at the fate of more than a million European Jewish children during the regime of Adolf Hitler. Many photographs and quotes humanize the historical account. Map, sources, and statistics are included. Bib.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(2) YA Divided into four parts, Denenberg's thoroughly researched account provides background on Nazism and its influence on the Frank family; allows Anne's older sister, Margot, to speak through her own fictitious diary; offers first-person accounts of survivors; and outlines Otto Frank's last days of the war and his search for his family. A bibliographical essay, source notes, and an extensive bibliography are appended. Ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2005

(4) 4-6 Retold by Carol Ann Lee. Emphasizing personal experiences, van Maarsen recalls events from her childhood, when she and Anne Frank were friends. Though Anne is distanced from readers through the "as told to" format and the main character (van Maarsen) has no compelling characterization, readers meet an Anne removed from the familiar context of her immediate family, an exuberant girl sharing confidences with her friends. Reading list, timeline.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2005

(4) K-3 People to Know series. These easy-to-read biographies are useful and relatively informative, though they tend to gloss over controversial issues (the Holocaust, sexual abuse). The books are all liberally illustrated with photographs, and sidebars provide additional information about relevant topics such as how wing shape affects lift. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these People to Know titles: Anne Frank, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and The Wright Brothers.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 DK Biography series. Well-rounded biographies of four twentieth-century notables are hampered by an occasional glibness of tone (e.g., a discussion of overcrowded hospitals in Kennedy includes the phrase "you do the math"). Nearly every page contains a photo or a reproduction, increasing the books' accessibility, although the pages are a bit crowded due to the small trim size. Each book features an illustrated timeline. Websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these DK Biography titles: Helen Keller, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Anne Frank.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta