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Middle Grade Sidekick Super Review: When We Flew Away- A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary (2024) by Alice Hoffman
- 15 hours ago
- 8 min read
The Basics
Page Length: 304
Audiobook Length: ~6 hours
Grade Reading Level: 3+
Target Audience Age: 8-12+
Goodreads Score: 4.04 out of 5
Buy it HERE
Setting: 1940-1942, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
Topics: WWII, Holocaust, Antisemitism, Family, Friendship, Survival, Resistance, Memory, Grief
Plot: We've all read Anne Frank's diary, but When We Flew Away tells the story of Anne's life before her family went into hiding. The novel begins in Amsterdam, where the Frank family has sought refuge after fleeing Nazi Germany. They believe the Netherlands will remain neutral—a place where they can live safely until they can hopefully make their way to America. But they soon realize that nowhere is truly safe. Their neighborhood is filled with other Jewish refugee families who have come seeking the same thing: peace.
Anne and her sister, Margot, spend their days like many other teenagers—flirting with boys, getting ice cream at their favorite shop, and enjoying movies and plays. Anne loves riding her bike, telling elaborate stories, and dreaming of a bright future where she'll star in her school play. Margot and Edith, Anne's mother, often think Anne is too full of dreams—too whimsical, too loud, too much. Anne spends much of her time feeling jealous of her seemingly perfect sister and frustrated by her mother's rules. The only people who truly seem to understand her are her father and her beloved Oma. But soon, those worries become the least of her concerns.
Anne is haunted by the black moth, a symbol of the Nazi regime. As the Nazis occupy Amsterdam, they slowly strip away everything Anne loves. No more bike rides. No more carefree days at school. Friends and teachers who aren't Jewish begin to distance themselves from her. Anne and Margot lose the freedom to walk the streets alone as soldiers patrol the city. They can't buy the books they want, the clothes they like, or even dream about ordinary teenage milestones. Anne never even gets the chance to have a real boyfriend. Eventually, the family finds themselves fighting over rotten potatoes at the grocery store, and Anne celebrates what will be her last birthday before hiding with far fewer luxuries—and far fewer loved ones—than she once knew.
Her life, once filled with laughter, imagination, and endless possibilities, slowly gives way to fear and darkness. Yet Anne refuses to let hope disappear. Even with the black moth always hovering in her thoughts, she continues to believe in a future where she can chase her dreams. It's a beautiful story about hope, resilience, and finding light even when the world seems determined to take it away.
Themes: Discrimination, memory and remembrance, the power of stories, finding light in darkness, growing up in war time, family relationships, grief and healing, survival
You might like this book if you like:
Journaling
Birdwatching
Visiting museums/historical sites
Books like: The Book Thief, The War That Saved My Life, Max in the House of Spies, The Bletchley Riddle, A Place to Hang the Moon
Shows like Liberty's Kids, Anne with an E, A Small Light, All the Light We Cannot See
Movies like My Best Friend Anne Frank, The Imitation Game, Jojo Rabbit, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (also a book)
Other books written by this author: Nightbird, Aquamarine, Incantation, Green Angel, The Foretelling
Teaching When We Flew Away in Class
Content
Language: None
Sex/Romance: Anne is good at flirting with boys in her class. She has a sort of romance with a boy named "Hello," but it doesn't last long before her family goes into hiding.
Violence/Scariness: The time period of this novel lends itself to lots of violence against Jews in Amsterdam. Nothing is described graphically, but the book outlines events of Kristallnacht, rounds ups and deportations to concentration camps, arrests, vandalisms of homes and places of worship. Annis also haunted by the death of her grandmother. She really struggles with her grief.
Drinking/Smoking/Drugs: Some guests drink wine at a wedding
Class Novel-ability: I think this would make a great class novel. It's age-appropriate, offers plenty of opportunities for meaningful discussions, and features a protagonist students will connect with. Because of its historical setting, it also pairs well with many other middle grade novels, making it a great option for literature circles. Plus, the historical context creates lots of opportunities for cross-curricular connections with social studies.
My only hesitation is the pacing. I found the story a little slow to get going, so it may not hook every reader right away. That said, I think students who stick with it will be rewarded with a thoughtful, moving story that's well worth the read.
The Star Qualities
What I loved most about this book is that it takes place before the part of Anne Frank's story that most of us know. It gives readers a glimpse of what her life was like before the Nazi occupation—who her friends were, what she enjoyed doing, and what everyday life looked like. We know Anne through her diary, but that only captures her life in hiding. It was fascinating to imagine who she was when she was still free. The novel also offers a fresh perspective on Anne's family relationships and the events that led them into hiding. After fleeing Germany in search of safety, the Franks found themselves forced into hiding once again before ultimately being sent to concentration camps. Knowing what lies ahead makes the story all the more poignant.
Despite the tragedy readers know is coming, the novel never loses its sense of hope. Anne is full of life, curiosity, and optimism. She's frightened by the changes happening around her, but she never stops believing that things can get better. Even as the world around them grows darker, her family finds moments of connection, and Anne still dreams about friendship, first crushes, and one day becoming an actress. I especially appreciated the book's emotional depth and its reminder that hope can exist even in the midst of fear.
Alice Hoffman's writing is another standout. Her lyrical style makes this an excellent mentor text for the classroom. There are countless passages that would work well for studying, analyzing, and imitating her work. Students can learn so much simply by paying attention to the way she crafts her sentences.
Book Talk Read Aloud Section
If you have the physical book, read pages 1- 5 (read through the paragraph break "Someday you'll wish you'd listened to me and had more fun.")
If you don't, read the same pages in the reading sample here.
"Reading Like a Writer" Mentor Texts
I like this passage for several reasons. First, it's only three sentences long, making it an approachable mentor text. The sentences are packed with long lists separated by commas and semicolons, giving students examples of different listing strategies. The passage also uses repetition and parallel structure to build momentum, with the lists gradually increasing in intensity. The writing is simple but powerful, making these craft moves easy for middle school students to recognize and imitate.
This passage has a lot of great craft moves packed into just a few sentences. I especially like how the implied thoughts and messages are written in italics, making it easy for readers to understand that these hateful ideas being forced onto Jews were unspoken, yet still known. The passage also uses repetition, metaphor, and the contrast between they and you to create a rhythm that builds emotion and intensity. Finally, the vivid imagery in the extended metaphor helps readers not just understand the dehumanization, but really feel it.
I really like this passage because of all the figurative language and symbolism packed into it. Instead of telling readers what's happening, the author shows it through symbols like the wolves, rabbits, goblins, and soldiers. The passage also uses personification, metaphor, and vivid imagery to paint a picture that's both beautiful and unsettling. On top of that, the repetition and parallel sentence structure create a rhythm that slowly builds suspense. Altogether, these craft moves give the passage a dreamlike, eerie feel that really sticks with the reader.
Sentences for Combining and Imitation
Sentence sets for combining:
"Going home meant starting their homework and setting the table and listening to their mother’s questions and judgements about how they’d spent their day." (When We Flew Away, p. 3)
Going home meant starting their homework.
It meant setting the table.
It meant listening to their mother's questions.
It meant listening to their mother's judgements about how they'd spent their day.
"They listened to the radio, they heard what sounded like stars crashing to earth, and when night fell and the black moth appeared at the window, no one saw it, no one heard it tapping on the glass." (p. 51)
They listened to the radio.
They heard what sounded like stars crashing to earth.
When night fell, the black moth appeared at the window.
No one saw it.
No one heard it tapping at the glass.
"In the past, they had never thought twice about going out in the dusk, riding their bicycles or playing hide-and-seek, ducking beneath the bushes or watching the stars in the sky." (p. 79)
In the past they had never thought twice about things.
Never thought twice about going out in the dusk.
Never thought twice about riding their bicycles.
Never thought twice about playing hide and seek.
Never thought twice about ducking beneath the bushes.
Never thought twice about watching the stars in the sky.
"Magpies were members of the crow family, so clever and curious that some people said they were thieves. They took clothes from the laundry lines, rings from people’s fingers, flowers from fenced gardens, grapes and pears from carts being pulled by horses." (p. 23)
They took clothes from the laundry lines.
They took rings from people's fingers.
They took flowers from fenced gardens.
They took grapes and pears from carts being pulled by horses.
Sentences for Imitation:
I like these sentences for a lot of reasons. This author uses italics throughout the book, and these are great examples of the different ways she uses them. The others are simply sentences I chose because I loved the writing.
"I wish to be whoever I want to be, Anne whispered, when she held the palm of her hand against the tree in the courtyard. I wish to be myself." (p. 3)
"The inside of the story was the stone that no one could see, hidden in the center, like the pit of a fruit, one so sharp it could cut you if you reached for it." (p. 28)
"This time their parents were quarreling about Anne, whose teachers had complained about her. Starry-eyed. Dreamer. Doesn’t pay attention. Talks when she should be quiet. Talks all the time." (p. 30)
"She had been in school plays and in holiday performances and was always the star of every show. The reason was simple: She could become someone else in the blink of an eye." (p. 75)
"At night Anne often told herself the same reassuring message. Nothing bad will happen. She whispered it three times as if it were an incantation, a spell to keep away the darkness." (p. 183)
Used this book in your classroom? Tell us how in the comments!
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