Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem

In Short
Witches: The Abosolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer is a short history of the Salem Witch Trials. It was published in 2011 and has 144 pages. It was a Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor Book. 

Summary  

In a small town in colonial Massachusetts, two girls started to twitch, choke, and speak gibberish. At first it seemed like a strange illness, but soon the girls and their families had convinced the town that they were bewitched by three neighbor women. Thus began an outrageous witch hunt that resulted in the imprisonments, trials, and deaths of many falsely accused "witches". 

My Take 

I think Witches! is a perfect introduction to this dark moment in U.S. history. It's well-paced and has a lot of interesting details. I especially like how Schanzer wove excerpts from the actual trials throughout the story, and the black and white illustrations add a fun touch. If I have one complaint, it's that I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight...but I guess that's to be expected with the insane number of witch accusations flying. 

Have you read this book? What did you think? Please post your comments.