Bookbox ‘Het Achterhuis’

The pupils in year 1 (12/13 years old), at Lentiz I Dalton MAVO & Het Groene Lyceum, have to make a bookbox about a book they read for the subject Dutch Language. One of the pupils, Roxane, made her bookbox about "The Diary of Anne Frank".

By Mandy Bomer, The Netherlands  

Roxane* explains: "I've read the diary and then I made a bookbox out of it. I had to put stuff in there, that had something to do with the life of Anne Frank. I put in the bookbox these objects: a desk, a tree, a bookcase, a picture of a star of David, a little booklet, a pencil, postcards, a doll and some pictures.  

All these objects relate to the life of Anne Frank. She wrote her diary in a little booklet, with a pencil, writing at her desk. They lived in hiding in 'het Achterhuis', you could not see the attic, because it was hidden behind a bookcase. I placed a tree in the bookbox, because I read that Anne always looked at a tree from the attic window. The little doll represents Anne herself. Before going into hiding, she and all Jewish people had to wear the star of David, so Jewish people were recognizable. The last object were some postcards. In the book she says she decorated her bedroom with postcards and pictures from magazines.

While reading the book, Anne really gave me a look into the lives of people who were hiding during WWII. It must have been horrible. I'm realising how lucky I am to live right now and not then."

The teacher of Dutch Language was surprised about the knowledge Roxane showed about the life of Anne Frank. "She explained the life of Anne Frank with the help of the objects and she was so respectful about the situation. She really outdid herself with this presentation!"

*Roxane has agreed to have her name is in this article.