Massachusetts Books

The ghost of Jamie O'Roarke, a dashing pirate trapped inside an oak tree in the Old Burial Ground in Salem, Mass. is released from his wooden prison by a bolt of lightening on Old Hallows Eve. Unbeknown to Rebecca Love, the lovely young assistant to Peter Hawking,(who is holding a seance in the cemetery), O'Roarke has been waiting three hundred years to get revenge on the Love family. It seems Rebecca Love's ancesters were responsible for O'Roarke being hanged. O'Roarke tricks Rebecca into going with him back to the Salem of 1692. What follows is a wonderful story of intrigue, humor and suspense told by an author who has throughly researched her subject. This entertaining novel is not only wonderfully written, it is informative and historically accurate. I highly recommend this book. It's a real page turner.

Serena Devlin has woven a tale of adventure, time travel and romance set in modern day Salem, Massachusetts and the Salem of 1692. Her marvelous descriptions of her characters and of the settings in her novel remind me of the type of attentiion to detail that made Ernest Hemingway so famous. If anyone is expecting a book about Wiccans, they'll be sadly disappointed. This novel is an adventurous romp with great characters such as Jamie O'Roarke, a pirate trapped inside an oak tree for three hundred years, freed by a bolt of lightening on Old Hallows Eve that splits the tree in two. Devlin brings to life the Salem of 1692 by her use of dialect that would have been spoken by persons living in Salem at that time. I highly recommend this book for any person age fifteen or older. (I'm an adult and I throughly enjoyed it) Theodore Windsor, history teacher (10th grade)

I worked for Boston Public Schools in the 1970's..It was just as tunmultous and political as this book describes.
Mr. Cronin was obviously there and knows the past problems and the recent breakthroughs.
i recommend that everyone interested in city schools read this important history of the movs improved urban school system in America.

Dr. Cronin has written several books and this is one of his finest efforts. An excellent retelling of the evolution of one of Americas oldest public school systems.

This is a very concise and thought provoking book. Dr. Andrews addresses issues that are still challenging us today while at the same time, giving the reader an excellent historical guide with fascinating information not only about the events and sites of this exciting part of our Country's history, but also by giving us glimpses of the part played by many diverse people (which, unfortunely, is not fully explored in most of our American history textbooks). The introductory section "Modern Myths and Revolutionary Realisties"and "Prelude to the American Revolution" sets the stage for what follows--a truly readable introductory history/guide book about the area! Of special interest to this reader were the sources listed at the end of every chapter as well as the chapter explaining some of origins of Colonial idioms still in use: "skin flint", "mind your P's and Q's", "pot luck". This book is a winner and deserves to be in everyone's bookcase or back pocket to be read and used and savored and given as gifts.

Joseph Andrews' Revolutionary Boston, Lexington & Concord: The Shots Heard Round the World! offers the unusual combination of being a quick read yet containing factual, compelling information. The author has done his homework on this one. The content is succinctly written and contains many interesting anecdotes, actual quotes from the patriots and British, little known facts and myths that all add up to a little jewel of a book. If you are traveling to the Boston area or just want to bone up on this most historic area, without reading tomes of history, this book is for you.

I am one of the "locals" that the author, Dr. Andrews, mentions who has seen a lot of the sites, but at different times. I never knew the extent of the involvement of so many towns. The part about Boston was an especially pleasurable trip through memory lane for me, since my father was a member of the Massachusetts General Court from 1940-1950 and Boston was an integral part of my early years.

I enjoyed how Dr. Andrews was able to weave together separate parts of Massachusetts Revolutionary history into an easily readable book with lots of anecdotes and explanations that make this history come alive. It is amazing to realize that on April 18,1775 the British troops "embarked from a spot near today's Public Gardens...before landfill built up the area..."

So much packed into 144 pages; a must read; a most enjoyable guide!

This guidebook is a great read - if you are not now planning a trip to the Boston area you will surely want to once you finish! I'd like to catch the next plane out of Honolulu & go on a tour. The author makes history come alive again. He clears up many misconceptions & tells what really happened. His style of writing is reader friendly. In addition to being a comprehensive guidebook it is also worth reading for anyone interested in Revolutionary History. Lots of pictures too.

This book was outstanding. Especially towards the end when the chase for murderer was in act. Your books are my favorite ever. I own two of them already. Thank you for coming to our class that day. My mystery story is on a roll because of your idea's of how to make them better. I made sure that I used an amature detective because that is what I know most about. The pizza party was great, and I'm glad that we got to ask you all of those questions about your carerr and the books. Thanks again!

From: Kayla/ Mrs. Cowell's student

This book was incredible. If you like action and suspense, this is the book for YOU. I really enjoyed this book towards the end, when the chase for the murderer was in action. The Matty Trescott Novels are the best group/novels of books I have ever read. I already own 3 of them. Thank you again, Mrs. Shmurak, for coming into our class to talk about your novels you have written. I am glad that I got to ask you all of my questions about your career and the books. Thanks again for coming in. So, if you like suspense and cliff-hangers, you will truly enjoy this book from the beginning to the end!

Sublime and enchanting is how John Hay has the reader feeling. It is truly a superb book, well written and thoughtful as well as thought provoking.

I first read this book in the early 1970s when I was conducting my Ph.D. thesis research, which dealt with the migratory behavior of a fish called the alewife, also known as river herring. Alewife are like small, silvery salmon. About 10 inches long, they migrate into small streams and rivers along the East Coast in the spring to spawn, and the juveniles then migrate to the ocean in the fall, where they live for four or five years before returning to their home stream to spawn. John Hay captures the mystery and delight of an alewife run. Unlike salmon runs that occur in large rivers where the fish can't be seen, alwife migrate into many very small streams, many of which pass through towns and under old mills, such that the fish are readily visible to people. To see thousands of fish stacked up at the base of a dam, knowning that they had traveled thousands of miles in the Atlantic for years before finding their way back to the location where their life began as an egg, is almost incredible. John Hay describes the essence of the alewife in a very informative but tremendously readable style. This is a must read for anyon who enjoys fine writing and has an interest in the natural world.

Despite the fact that the typeface on cover of this book is perhaps too reminiscent of Bram Stoker's classic novel, this is a solid, "no nonsense" reference work. It does not attempt to sway or influence the reader's opinion of the Salem witchcraft trials episode, but instead offers a precise, objective overview of all its events, complete with a wide variety of academic interpretations, representative original documents, key biographies and various other related bonus materials. When used in a classroom setting, or as a general reference on the subject, this edition eliminates the need for separately published collections of primary sources -- an indispensable quality for any introductory book.

As an educator for 25 years teaching colonial New England, I was excited to see this book being published. I received my copy and I feel it is the best resource there is on the witchcraft trials. All the information you need is here.

Children's detective stories seem to be perpetually "in," and The Salem Witch Trials: An Untold Mystery from History (as with others in this series) plays on that theme successfully. Without giving us a name, the author introduces us to the narrator, a young girl who is curious...a trait that every detective needs! This young lady isn't curious about just anything, she's particularly curious about her fathers file of mysteries that have never been solved..."histories mysteries." The narrator then goes on to detail her "process" for trying to figure out the given mystery...first she reads as much as she can about the incident, learning everything she can, and she keeps a notebook of the most important clues and information. Some of the books in this series include maps and timelines (though this one does not)! This particular "case" focuses on The Salem Witch Trials (its possible causes).

With that bit out of the way, the book transforms into a fact filled narrative of the events, starting with the long cold winter of 1692, leading into the various events that lead up to the witch trials and ending with a summery of five of the most popular theories "what really happened." This final section is done in the notebook style, and the narrator has included questions for the reader to answer, which if answered, will help the reader figure out which of the theories are most likely...at the very least, it's an excellent opportunity for a class project (dividing students up into groups and each exploring a given theory and presenting to the class, with discussion at the end on which of the theories are most likely...and maybe even encouraging students to come up with their own theories!). The story ends with the narrator saying she's really not sure WHICH theory is right...but she's got her own and now she hopes you (the reader) do too.

Each two page spread (illustration done in subtle tones which emphasize the bleak New England winters and adds to the somber tone of the Puritan lifestyle) is given a narrative box and most include "post-it" style pink, yellow and orange boxes which define terms used in the narrative box and most include a cut out of a spiral notebook which is meant to be the narrator taking her notes...which provides additional information and/or perspective on the information given in the narrative box. I love the section on the theories...the way they are presented with questions that the reader should be able to answer directly out of the text and/or with minimal additional research. I really do think this would make an excellent group project for a classroom, or the jumping off point for a written report by a single student...or just interesting reading!! I'd say this book is idea for kids ages 4-10, as a real aloud to about age 6, older kids will enjoy reading this alone...the text is EASY...but the opportunity for exploring the theories and doing additional research is what I think makes it suitable for readers 8-10. I give it five stars and think it would make a fine addition to any classroom or school library. I love the format; it presents the necessary information (and definitions) on the page (without flipping back and forth to a glossary) in a way that doesn't detract from the narrative or the illustrations. There is a bibliography, but it's located in the front of the book, just before the title page, rather than in the back. Pick this up for your curious young reader, you won't be disappointed!

I picked this book up at my local library, keen to know how the authors and illustrator approached a dark theme in our history catering to younger readers [Grades 3-6]. I was pleased with the approach as though it doesn't provide comprehensive details on the events surrounding the Salem Witch Trials, it does have a unique approach.

The illustrations are done in somber hues, which enhance the bleakness of the period in which the events occur. There are boxed texts explaining how the witch trials unfolded, and difficult phrases or words are explained, also in boxed text.

What I liked about the book was its investigative approach. The reader is given a set of leading and thought-provoking questions at the end of the book which are meant to help the reader come to his/her own conclusions about the true origins of the historical event. A possible set of hypotheses are provided for us to ponder over, and the questions are simple [as they are aimed at a younger audience], yet thought-provoking.

All in all, this is a refreshing approach to a significant event in US history, simply written and beautifully illustrated.

I truly enjoyed this book. This is the most detailed account of the Saturday Evening Girls that I have found. The pictures are marvelous...

I bought this for my wife who is a potter as a hobby. She likes the book a great deal and continues to use it extensively as she does her pottery design work. It seems to be a very good reference document with great pictures.

Book is exactly what I ordered and was in perfect condition.
Many students in my class were not able to obtain this book through the university bookstore.