Annotate Bibliography Biographies

The Diary of a Young Girl (1020L)

Frank. A. (1993). The Diary of a Young Girl. New York, NY: Bantam.

            Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl is one of the most well known records of World War II. The novel is written in the way of a diary. Anne’s diary was written as a way to express her experiences while hiding in the attic when the Nazis occupied Holland. They were hiding in the attic for two years before they were discovered and sent to concentration camps where Anne Frank later dies.

            The themes in this biography are abuse of power, beating the odds, corruption, courage, effects of the past, faith, fall from grace, family, fate, fear, freedom, friendship, hate, heritage, heroes, honesty, innocence, love, manipulation, need for change, perseverance, prejudice, religion, secrecy, security/safety, survival, and war.

Night (570L)

Wiesel, Elie. (2006). Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang.

            Elie Wiesel’s novel Night is an amazing novel about Elie Wiesel and his experiences while in the concentration camps. His novel describes how horribly he was treated and how he had to live through these horrible experiences.

The themes in this biography are abuse of power, beating the odds, corruption, courage, effects of the past, faith, fall from grace, family, fate, fear, freedom, friendship, hate, heritage, heroes, honesty, innocence, love, manipulation, need for change, perseverance, prejudice, religion, secrecy, security/safety, survival, and war.

Bram Stoker: The Man Who Wrote Dracula (1160L)

Otfinoski, S. (2005). Bram Stoker: The Man Who Wrote Dracula. Danbury, CT: Children’s Press.

            Steven Otfinoski’s novel Bram Stoker: The Man Who Wrote Dracula is focused on the life and writings of Bram Stoker. We learn about his thoughts, struggles, and goals in life. We also learn about the overall context of the time and history of the area that Bram Stoker is from.

The themes in this biography are abuse of power, courage, effects of the past, faith, fall from grace, family, fate, freedom, friendship, hate, heritage, heroes, honesty, innocence, love, manipulation, need for change, perseverance, prejudice, religion, secrecy, and survival.

Norman Rockwell: Storyteller with a Brush (980L)

Gherman, B. (2000). Norman Rockwell: Storyteller With a Brush. New York, NY: Athenaeum Books for Young Readers.

              Beverly Gherman’s novel Norman Rockwell: Storyteller with a Brush is focused on the life and inspirations of the great Norman Rockwell. The reader learns about Norman’s life and how he aspired to be who he was famous for. His artwork had become famous across the United States.

              The themes in this biography are beating the odds, coming of age, courage, faith, family, freedom, friendship, heritage, heroes, justice, love, loyalty, perseverance, seizing the moment and the road not taken.

Eat, Pray, Love (1080L)

Gilbert, E. (2007). Eat, Pray, Love. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

            Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love is focused on her personal experiences of learning who she really is through a journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia after she turned thirty. Before her self-fulfilling journey, she went through bouts of depression and grief. She quit her job, sold all of her things and journey across the world to find out what makes her happy and how to become happy.

            The themes in this novel are beauty, courage, faith, family, fear of failure, freedom, friendship, love, loyalty, nature, peace, and quest for knowledge, religion, and seizing the moment.