Bibliographical citation: Schanzer, R. (2011). Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. 144 pages. ISBN: 9781426308697.
Awards: Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor (2012), ALA Notable Children's Books (2012), SLJ Best Books for Children (2011).
Author's website: http://www.rosalynschanzer.com/
Annotation: This account of the Salem Witch Trials reads like a novel and is chock full of facts, transcripts from trials, confessions, and letters from both the accusers and accused. The extraordinary artwork and clever text attract and engage readers.
Personal Reaction: Rosalyn Schanzer writes about a time in history that she refers to as a "disaster." This term could not be more appropriate considering the horrible injustices that occurred and the disgusting conditions that those accused of witchcraft were forced to endure. Although this topic is not new to me, I am always shocked at how easy it was for people to be accused and tossed into jail. In her narrative, Shanzer pulls readers into the panic and frenzy created by these accusations through using dialogue and pictures. The scratchbord pictures really convey the themes within the text as well as the emotions and anguish of those accused, and the sadness of the story is also expressed through these images as well as the format of the book. Its dark colors reflect the nature of the story (intended of course), and the size of the book reminds me of a small pocket bible or book that may have been used in the 1600s (coincidence? I think not.) All of these elements combined are what make this text fascinating for young readers.
Front/Back Matter: Table of Contents, A Few Accused Witches in Order of Appearance, Some Afflicted Accusers & Other Witch Hunters, Preface, Notes, Bibliography, Index, Note from the Author.
*Bibliographical citation information, award information, as well as image retrieved from www.bwibooks.com (Titletales)
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