Book Review: Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem

 Witches, wizards, and ghouls, oh my!

Meet the book....
Schanzer, Rosalyn. (2011). Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem. National Geographic Children’s Books. 
Lexile Level: 1190L (4th & 5th grade)

Summary: A straightforward book detailing the events of the Salem Witch Trials, from beginning to end, showing how a few accusations spiraled into full blown hysteria that not only affected Salem, but all of New England. It is broken up into chapters, starting each with some definitely creepy black, white, and red cartoonish prints of witches, ghouls, and the like terrorizing the “innocent”. It was the recipient of many awards, such as the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor Book award and School Library Journal Book of the Year in 2011 (Penguin Random House 2020).

I’ve read a few books on the Salem Witch Trials and felt I had a good grasp on the timeline and basic facts. I was interested to see what more Schanzer’s book could offer, especially as a children’s nonfiction. I am glad to report I was not disappointed and found out more than I expected! Schanzer did a great job of giving background information for each person she listed; it helped connect the dots of who was related, who was at odds, and who benefited from these “witches” being sent to hang….

The book’s chapters are small and I enjoyed the spooky prints and illustrations. They added extra foreboding and emphasized the dramatization the accusers gave to their testimonies. I did think some were somewhat graphic, as one shows a person being hanged. However, it’s the book’s job to relay the facts...and the image does give a sobering realization of the damage these false accusations created. 

Because of the more unsettling content throughout the book, as Schanzer does give details of some of the torture and accusations the victims endured, I would recommend this book to older students interested in knowing the history of the Salem Witch Trials. The lexile range rates this title suitable for 8-10 year olds, but I would be cautious recommending this to younger chuildrens, especially if they’re more sensitive. The pictures alone were creepy, so I can’t imagine how horrified a child would be reading this book if they weren’t interested in it!

Certified creepy...

Schanzer’s book was a very interesting read and satisfied my spooky tooth. What I appreciated most from this book were Schanzer’s final chapters. She goes through and asks the reader what they think really happened, and points out some suspicious things that could have been the real cause of the accusations. For example, she outlines the history between the Putnams and the Porters, how they’d been at war for land and how conveniently the Putnam girl had been cursed by Goody Porter… coincidence? Or that in the 1600s, disease was more rampant and the effects of illnesses still a mystery; could the afflictions the victims described be caused by lyme disease, or the hallucinations be a side effect of accidental poisoning from jimson weed (Schanzer pg. 109).

Marzipan is not impressed. 

I would recommend this book to older school age children (or anyone, for that matter) interested in the mysterious history of the Salem Witch Trials, especially around Halloween as interest in this subject usually spikes around then.

While we will never truly know the origin behind the group of girls’ sudden afflictions and accusations, Schanzer gives great background information to keep the reader thinking about what they learned and to always question things until you get solid information. Spectral proof does not stand up in court!

🦇❣

Readalikes:

School Age:
What Were the Salem Witch Trials? By Joan Holub

As this series is extremely popular, I wouldn’t be surprised if school age readers had already picked this version up. An easier read than Witches, this would be a book I would first suggest to younger kiddos. It also includes a timeline, which is handy to keep track of all the accusations, arrests, and which-witch-was-which.

Tweens:

The Salem Witch Trials by Michael Martin

A nonfiction graphic novel giving a brief history on the Salem Witch Trials. Because it gives limited information, I would recommend this book first. If the reader’s interest is piqued, I would then recommend Witches! for further research. 

Teens:

Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials

An in-depth narrative fiction book that goes farther into the history of those involved, and includes images and transcripts of the trials.

Resources

Penguin Random House (2020). Witches. Retrieved from:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/210244/witches-by-rosalyn-schanzer/

Schanzer, Rosalyn. (2011). Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem. National Geographic Children’s Books.