5 Fascinating Books About the Salem Witch Trials for Young Readers

What Were The Salem Witch Trials?, by Joan Holub and Dede Putra
This volume of the Who HQ series will answer most questions young historians can think of, from the names of people involved in the trial to why this group of young girls might have accused so many people of witchcraft. Joan Holub’s writing is detailed but not overwhelming or graphic and Dede Putra’s realistic black-and-white drawings bring the events and atmosphere in the Massachusetts Bay Colony to life. In the afterward, Holub describes the many people involved in this hysteria who apologized, or whose lives were otherwise tainted by their false accusations of witchcraft. The book includes a bibliography for further reading, a timeline of the events, photos and artwork relating to the trials, and details about the historical monuments that visitors can see in Salem. For ages eight to twelve.

The Salem Witch Trials, by Nancy Ohlin and Roger Simó
Roger Simó illustrates this volume of the BlastBack! Series in fun, plentiful, cartoon-style drawings, and Nancy Ohlin writes about the Salem Witch Trials concisely, in kid-friendly language, without as many details as some of the other books, making this one perfect for the youngest kids interested in the subject. While Holub focuses on the interpersonal forces that sparked the witch trials (such as the fact that many of the accused were poor or otherwise considered odd) Ohlin details the political forces at work, such as a rivalry between two powerful families and a disagreement about whether the village and town of Salem should be independent or not. This book includes sidebars about voodoo, the youngest witch, Wicca, Cotton Mather and more. For ages seven to ten.

The Salem Witch Trials: An Interactive History Adventure, by Matt Doeden
If your young historians like their stories in choose-you-own-adventure format, this volume of the You Choose series is the Salem Witch Trial book for you. In this book, richly illustrated with historical engravings and paintings, readers can select the role of “a young woman defending herself against accusations of witchcraft,” “the son of an accused woman,” or to “accuse someone of being a witch.” In the latter role especially, this book will help readers understand why people could do something so seemingly vicious and nonsensical as to accuse another person of witchcraft, the penalty for which was execution. For ages eight to twelve.

Dear America: I Walk in Dread, by Lisa Rowe Fraustino
If your kids love reading stories in diary format, try this volume of the Dear America series, The Diary of Deliverance Trembley, Witness to the Salem Witch Trials. Deliverance’s story will immerse young readers in the mindset of a girl growing up as a Puritan in the Massachusetts Bay Colony—her day ruled by the dictates of her religion and her family’s rules, and her mind full of contemporary superstition and lacking knowledge of many scientific facts that are currently well known. For ages eight to twelve.

Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem, by Rosalyn Schanzer
This engrossing narrative history will appeal to slightly older readers, with Schanzer’s scratchboard illustrations highlighting key moments. At the beginning of the book Schanzer introduces several notable figures in the trials, both accusers and accused, and then follows their stories chronologically. Teenagers reading Arthur Miller’s famous play The Crucible can turn to this book for more background information.