Visithet achterhuison the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam andexplore the annex where Anne Frank wrote her renowned diary. With morethan 1,000 historical photos, over 15 video films, and four hours ofspoken text, Anne Frank House presents a complete picture of all thedetails Anne sought to capture in her diary. The software even includesa copy of Anne's diary, complete with 30 percent more material than theoriginal published version.

Install the application and within minutes you'll have access to notonly the program, but the Anne Frank Web site as well. The software isset up to resemble the actual house where Anne and her family hidduring World War II. Using the mouse, we were able to navigate our waythrough different rooms throughout the building, as well as otherbuildings in the surrounding area. The program does an amazing job ofcapturing the neighborhood in which the family hid for all those years,as well as the actual rooms and corridors of their secret annex.

Aside from a virtual tour of the house, complete with posters on thewall and food on the table, the program comes complete with dozens ofshort stories and explanations about the lives of all the occupants of123 Prinsengracht. Click on the revolving cube that sits in thelower left-hand corner of your screen and choose from a number ofoptions, including Timelines, People, Hidden Places, and more. Weespecially appreciated the outline of a typical day in the annex, whereclicking on a particular time would launch a detailed explanation ofwhat went on in the house at that particular hour.

While the program may seem a bit overwhelming at times, mainly becauseof the large scope of information offered, it just takes a little timeand practice to adjust to the application. In addition, a helpfullost-and-found navigation feature makes it easy to move around the softwarewithout losing your bearings.However, we found that sometimes thebest way to experience this type of program is simply to point andclick and see where it takes you. And if you do get stumped on a termor expression, the comprehensive glossary and help section is usuallyaccessible from wherever you may be in the application.

Designed for both students and teachers, Anne Frank House takes acomprehensive yet sensitive look at the complete story of Anne Frank,the families in hiding, and the vast, sometimes incomprehensible warthat unfolded before their very eyes.--Gisele Toueg