The Diary of a Young Girl
by Anne Frank
- Lexile
- 1080L
- Grade range
- Grades 7–10
- Age range
- Ages 12–16
- Pages
- 283
- First published
- 1947
- Genre
- Memoir
- ISBN-13
- 9780553577129
About this book
Anne Frank's diary records two years of hiding with her family in an Amsterdam annex during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. She writes with adolescent self-awareness about family, growing up, and fear, and the diary ends abruptly with her arrest. Widely assigned in middle- and early high-school Holocaust units and history classes.
Themes
- Holocaust
- coming of age
- hope
- family conflict
- antisemitism
- war and hiding
Content notes
- Holocaust
- adolescent sexuality (mild)
- family tension
- fear of death
Common Sense Media recommends age 12+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 8th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 informational text exemplar
- recommended· 8th grade · New Yorksource: NY grade 8 Holocaust study aligned reading
- recommended· 8th grade · Pennsylvaniasource: PA Core Standards grade 8 aligned reading
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is The Diary of a Young Girl?
- The Diary of a Young Girl is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–10, with a Lexile measure of 1080L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of The Diary of a Young Girl?
- The Diary of a Young Girl has a Lexile measure of 1080L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign The Diary of a Young Girl?
- The Diary of a Young Girl appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Diary of a Young Girl banned in schools?
- The Diary of a Young Girl has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 2 states (FL, TX) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
- What themes does The Diary of a Young Girl explore?
- Central themes in The Diary of a Young Girl include Holocaust, coming of age, hope, family conflict, antisemitism. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.