Let Freedom Ring!: The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials will take you back to a time of suspicion and mistrust in our nation. Learn how rumors of witchcraft and acts of hysteria spread through the town of Salem. This book tells the story of the Salem witch trials and their lasting impression on American history.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Boraas provides some background on the beliefs of the people who lived in Salem in 1692, and tells how two girls started a chain of events that eventually led to many arrests and deaths. Dell discusses who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, why they left their home country, where they landed and settled, and how they survived. Mangal and Pell offer straightforward biographies of two important figures. Each title begins with an introduction and ends with a summary that wraps up the subject nicely. Facts are presented clearly and succinctly. A large font size and colorful design make the books easy on the eyes. Numerous full-color, captioned illustrations extend the texts, as do parchment-colored sidebars. Some of the images are repeated among the volumes. Some speculation is included. For example, in Salem, readers are told about battles between the Wampanoag Indians and the Colonists and that "fear and stress may have caused the girls' strong emotional reactions." Unsourced quotes appear in Anne Hutchinson. The time line in John Winthrop contains one item not mentioned in the text and not explained clearly enough to determine its significance (King Charles I of England granting the reign of Maryland to George Calvert). Still, although these titles are light on data, they do suffice as general introductions.-Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.