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Book Review: Priscilla Foster: The Story of a Salem Girl by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

This book would be a substitute to consider if A Break With Charity by Rinaldi is required reading)

Title & Author: Priscilla Foster: The Story of a Salem Girl by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler; Illustrations by Robert Gantt Steele. Silver Burdett Press, 1997.

Length:122 pages; illustrations every 5-10 pages.

Print size: Larger than 'adult' books but not childish.

Other readability issues: This story is told by the granddaughter of a participant in the Salem Witch Trials. There is some switching back and forth as the grandmother tells her what happened, but because the grandmother is telling the story, there are fewer inferences to make about the culture and setting of Puritan times (the grandmother does a lot of explaining). This style of delivery also makes it easier to structure good discussion questions (which could involve anything from the dangers of gossip to the nature of religion and truth).

Summary: Hannah's grandmother insists on going to town on September 22, in commemoration of "the day of the hangings." Her granddaughter accompanies her and learns the story of the Salem Witch Trials through the eyes of one of the girls involved.

Typical words: Here are some typical words from the stories; it would be wise to see how many of these your students can read before expecting them to read independently.