T.E. W. (terez93) reviewed The Witchcraft of Salem Village (Landmark Books, No 69) on + 273 more book reviews
I recall reading several books from this series in childhood, and when I saw that Shirley Jackson had penned one regarding the Salem Witch Trials, I picked it up at the local library. This wasn't on account of the Halloween season coming up shortly, but is yet another in the series of books I've read over the years regarding one of the most tragic, and most fascinating and perplexing episodes in American history. Perhaps the reason I keep reading them is that I've never found one which I believe satisfactorily addresses this event, even though I have encountered some very capable monographs which have offered an endless array of theories and attempts at explanation. I keep reading, because I still really haven't found what I think I'm looking for, having read extensively about the Witchcraze in Europe as well.
It's difficult to address the complex series of events in a short children's book, but this brief volume at least captures the essence of the major events, and offers a decent description of the various characters, even if it's a little thin on details. Even though it's a children's book, geared for sixth graders, or thereabouts, I think it could have included more details about the individuals and especially daily life in this period, which would also have served to make it more interesting. It still reads like a novel, however, and is far from a dry history or presentation of factoid, so it is engaging and certainly suitable for students in this age category.
My one criticism is that it almost completely eschews any meaningful discussion of what might have been responsible for the tragedy which occurred all those centuries ago, which is a missed opportunity for students to make connections with the present day. As the term "witch hunt" has entered into our daily vocabulary, it seems that this is a fairly profound oversight. In general, this short introduction does provide some of the foundations, but I think it could have done more in this regard. That said, I would certainly recommend it as part of an American history curriculum, with the proviso that there should be some meaningful discussion that affords readers to make some modern-day practical application.
It's difficult to address the complex series of events in a short children's book, but this brief volume at least captures the essence of the major events, and offers a decent description of the various characters, even if it's a little thin on details. Even though it's a children's book, geared for sixth graders, or thereabouts, I think it could have included more details about the individuals and especially daily life in this period, which would also have served to make it more interesting. It still reads like a novel, however, and is far from a dry history or presentation of factoid, so it is engaging and certainly suitable for students in this age category.
My one criticism is that it almost completely eschews any meaningful discussion of what might have been responsible for the tragedy which occurred all those centuries ago, which is a missed opportunity for students to make connections with the present day. As the term "witch hunt" has entered into our daily vocabulary, it seems that this is a fairly profound oversight. In general, this short introduction does provide some of the foundations, but I think it could have done more in this regard. That said, I would certainly recommend it as part of an American history curriculum, with the proviso that there should be some meaningful discussion that affords readers to make some modern-day practical application.
