SOCIAL STUDIES POETRY

WICKED GIRLS: A NOVEL OF THE
WITCH TRIALS

Photo Retrieved from Amazon.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hemphill, Stephanie. WICKED GIRLS: A NOVEL OF THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS. New York, NY: Blazer + Bray, 2010. ISBN 9780061853289

B.  REVIEW AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS

WICKED GIRLS is a fresh and modern presentation of  the historical fiction, THE CRUCIBLE, in the form of a novel in verse.  With the characters Mercy Lewis, Ann Putman, and Margaret Walcott, the story of the Salem Witch trials comes to life in a quick and enjoyable read.  Each verse is told from the perspective of one of the characters, and this may pose to be a bit confusing at first.  However, through the first few verses, the reader will adjust to the narrator of each poem, and the personalities of each character will become more clear through each verse.

This presentation of historical fiction is a great format for young readers who are not fond of this genre.  The combination of historical fiction and a novel in verse prove to be a wonderful method of delivering a classic story.  The interweaving of the characters and the plot coupled with the verse captivate the reader. In this novel, themes such as jealousy, love, and deceit are the common themes still familiar to young readers today.  The delivery of the story brings together the plan of deceit, and the wicked web weaved by the accusers.  Although there are no illustrations or pictures of the characters or setting, the reader may find themselves forming their own visual of what the characters looked like and what the time period may have been like.

The overall impact of this book is that it leaves a robust desire to find out more information about the Salem Witch Trials.  Who were the accusers?  Why did they formulate this plan?  Did witches ever really exist?  The angle by which Hemphill presents this story and meshes historical facts into the novel allow the reader to enjoy history while still learning about the time period.

The cover is a dramatic image of a blonde, young girl surrounded by a black background.  The title, WICKED GIRLS, is presented in a  witch-like, green stoke, and haunting text.  There are occasional branch-like imprints on a few of the pages, however, there are no other illustrations in the novel.  After the final verse of the novel, Hemphill provides historical information on the accusers and the the girls who were accused.  Information such as their true name, family information, and death information is provided.  The author also provides a short author’s note, and a resource for anyone looking to research the Salem Witch Trials further. This book will surely leave young readers with the desire to learn more about this wicked story!


C.  HIGHLIGHT POEM AND POETRY BREAK 

No Kin In Salem Village

Mercy Lewis, 17

Through the mosquitoes

Bite fierce and the hour falls

Deep in the belly of the night,

I do sneak from the house.

I cannot be contained.

I crunch through the thicket.

I pat my thigh

Three times calling

For the ghost of my dog,

The only one who really cared

For me in this town,

Now rotting in a shallow grave.

I faint back into leaves

Loosed from fat-trunked trees

And bury myself.

I wish to find family

Somewhere, even if it’s underground.

Discuss games played as children.  Hide-N-Go Seek, London Bridge, etc.  Have students research some of their favorite childhood games and find the origins of the games and the names of these games.   Ask them to discuss if they can make any connections to those games and possible trouble those games could have gotten them into.  Discuss the feelings Mercy Lewis is feeling in the verse, and how she may be regretting her decision to go along with the lie.  Can they relate to how this character is feeling?