Omar Amador Salinas
English 112 B

Annotated Bibliography

Historical Views

History can be a tricky subject to learn about. Although there are facts and dates, there are also opinions, points of view and forgotten consequences. There are too many times when only one side of a story is told. There are too many times that the consequences are forgotten. However, there are many sides to a story, and there are always consequences.

The books included in my Annotated Bibliography are all very different. Some are in the form of journal entries, some are in a play format, and some are just regular books. Just like the style of books in my Annotated Bibliography varies, so do the historical views.

I have included stories that remember the times of woman�s oppression, as well as books that present personal accounts during a war. People are different, and that fact cannot be forgotten. History can serve as a good reminder of the days of old. As well, it can also serve as a guide. Anyway you look at it, history is real. While some stories may be fiction, and while some may be non-fiction, historical books deal with real issues, and characters that are true to life.

We can learn something if we choose to! That is why the books that I have chosen are so powerful. Although some characters may be fictional, the stories all contain issues that are relevant to today�s young adults, yesterday�s Baby-Boomers, and tomorrow�s generation. History can be a tool if you choose to use it in a manner that will empower you with knowledge. It�s like that quote says: �Learn from History, or you will be forced to repeat it.�

The Peddler�s Grandson by Edward Cohen

Although he thought that he would feel more at home with his Jewish brethren in the north, he realized that he was still an outsider. Having come form the south, he was seen as different. He didn�t feel at home in the south, and in the north, he still felt out of place.

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

The French and Indian war is going on. An odd group has banded together, almost out of necessity, to try to make a final stand. With heated confrontations, and tribal legacies at stake, who will come out victorious?

Tracks by Louise Eldrich

The Native Americans were supposed to have received land that they could continue living on. Instead, they have been cheated and have a land that is unfertile and of no use. The deceit of family members leads to more treachery. A wonderful story told from a Native American point of view that shows the result of a greedy American Manifest Destiny.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Anne Frank, her family and some friends, have been forced into hiding. They do not want to get caught by the Nazis, who will surely kill them, so they hide out in a place they think they will not be found. Told in the form of journal entries, Anne Frank tells her story while in hiding.

I Should Be Extremely Happy in your Company: A Novel of Lewis and Clark by Brian Hall

As stated in Literature for Today�s Young Adults: �Brian tells the story of the famous expedition from the viewpoints of Lewis, Clark, Sacagewea, and her interpreter husband. Jealousy erupts when Clark learns that President Jefferson had clearly chosen Lewis as the expedition�s leader,� (237).

Witness by Karen Hesse

The south is a rough place to be. With the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, people are unsure of what to do. Some are joining this family oriented group, while others see it as evil. Its play format makes it a wonderful read that gives each character a distinct personality.

Judith Sargent Murray: A Brief Biography with Documents by Sheila L. Skemp

Women were persecuted for writing. Judith Sargent Murray got an education and wrote to people in power, just to let them know how she felt on certain issues. This is truly an empowering story. Judith Sargent Murray was ahead of her time.

With the Old Breed by E. B. Sledge

Years after he fought in South Pacific, in World War II, E. B. Sledge compiled journal entries and various other documents to put together an interesting story. Told from first hand experience, one can feel the pain of watching a best friend is killed. Even though the years have passed, the wounds are still there.

Citizen 13660 by Mine Okubo

Have you ever heard of the Japanese prison camps? Well, there was a time when the United States imprisoned people of Asian descent, against their will. The camps were tight, cramped, and uncomfortable. This story is contains illustrations that helps the reader �see� what it was like in these camps.

Works Cited

Cohen, Edward. The Peddler�s Grandson: Growing up Jewish in Mississippi. Jackson:

University Press of Mississippi.

Cooper, James, Fenimore. The Last of the Mohicans. New York: Bantam Books, 1981

Donelson, Kenneth, L. Nilsen, Alleen, Pace. (Ed). Literature for Today�s Young Adults.

Boston: Pearson Education Inc.

Erdrich, Louise. Tracks. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1989

Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. Trans. Susan Massotty. Ed. Otto M. Frank

New York: Anchor, 1996.

Hall, Brian. I Should Be Extremely Happy in your Company: A Novel of Lewis and

Clark. Viking, 2003.

Hesse, Karen. Witness. New York: Scholastic, 2001.

Okubo, Mine. Citizen 13660. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1983.

Sayre, Gordon, M. American Captivity Narratives. New York: Houghton Mifflin

Company, 2000.

Skemp, Sheila, L. Judith Sargent Murray: A Brief Biography with Documents.

New York: Bedford Books, 1998.

Sledge, E. B. With The Old Breed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.

Okubo, Mine. Citizen 13660. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1983.