DID YOU HEAR WHAT HAPPENED IN SALEM?: THE WITCH TRIALS OF 1692, by Katie Kennedy, Nick Thornborrow, Workman Kids, Sept. 2, 2025, Hardcover, $17.99, Paperback, $8.99 (ages 8 and up)
Learn about the witch trials of 1692 in Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? by Katie Kennedy and Nick Thornborrow.
Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1692. When the first girl fell down screaming, the people of Salem Village thought it might just be silliness. Then a second girl started barking. A third and fourth began to shake uncontrollably. A doctor said “an evil hand” had come upon the girls, and everyone knew: They were bewitched.
But who were the witches? Everyone knew that too: the unprotected residents of Salem—the poor, the elderly, the ones who were a little bit strange. Soon more girls were having fits and naming people as witches. The village erupted in accusations, suspicion, and fear. By the time the witch trials ended, dozens of lives had been ruined, and twenty people were dead. —Synopsis provided by Workman Kids
Though the Salem witch trials happened more than 300 years ago, they ring true today. We are in a time where many are asking once again “how could this have happened?”
Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? follows the 1692 events in great detail. It’s told from the snarky first-person perspective of someone who played a major role during the trials, and the narrator doesn’t mince words. It’s through this bright, biting wit that you watch events unfold.
There are a lot of players to keep track of in Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? and author Katie Kennedy is kind enough to provide a who’s who at the beginning to help keep things straight. More than once, I turned back to keep track of all the people.
Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? moves quickly with accusations popping up at the drop of a hat. And Nick Thornborrow’s black-and-white illustrations help break up the text and add some humor throughout.
Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? is one of those books that kids will be drawn to, especially learning that it’s nonfiction. And now, as people start gearing up for what’s called the “witching season,” it should appeal to even more readers.
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