While the Salem Witch Trials occurred 333 years ago, Marshalltown author Katie Kennedy said its themes of misinformation, disinformation, deceit, distrust, and neighbor turning against neighbor, ring true today.

Her latest book “Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? The Witch Trials of 1692” was released earlier this month through Workman Kids. Illustrated by Nick Thornborrow, it is aimed at readers ages 8 to 12.

It’s the first book in a planned series (Did You Hear What Happened) with Kennedy’s next release to focus on the Alamo. She works as an adjunct professor of history at MCC, and as a part-time librarian at Marshalltown Public Library. A self-professed “over-researcher,” she delved into this dark chapter in American history.

“Iowa State, God bless them, has the volume that contains the examination and trial records and all the arrest warrants and all that kind of thing,” she said. “Because Massachusetts Bay had lost its charter, they weren’t able to hold trials right at the time, so they had what we would call an interrogation, but they called an examination.”

Kennedy had her husband pick up the 1,000-word tome so she could read first-hand accounts.

“He carried it across campus for me. It’s a heavy thing and you want to be careful with it. I returned it, then needed it again,” she said with a laugh.

Her book is written in the first-person, with the story told by a real-life figure that witnessed the trials.

“I’m not supposed to give (the character) away. I was doing kind of a true crime, sort of gossipy tone, sort of like an excited nine-year-old talking to another kid and sort of explaining what this was all about,” she said of the narrative.

While there are other books on the trials aimed at young readers, Kennedy said her book tells the “meatier version.”

“I’m generalizing here, but most Salem books tend to be very simple for kids, and don’t go into a lot of detail. We really tell them the story. We go through victim by victim, and tell them what they were accused of, and it’s much more information dense. It would be good for a reader who has an interest in the topic, or who reads well,” she noted.

Kennedy said telling the truth while also keeping the story age-appropriate, was a challenge.

“These events don’t make sense, and trying to explain them to kids — a kids’ book should be fun, it should be interesting. It should be kind of zippy. On the other hand, this is mass murder,” she added. “The editor said it was okay to lean into the incredulity of it, the fact that these events are nuts. That helped so much once I was able to make the tone a little bit more incredulous, a little more outraged, and bring some of my own outrage to the events.”

She learned during research that all accusers, regardless of age or gender, were called “Afflicted Girls.” When William Phips, then governor of Massachusetts, faced accusations that his wife was a witch, he stepped in to reform the judicial system, saying “spectral evidence” could no longer be used.

“When you’re accusing people in the political and social stratosphere, then it began to look suspicious,” she said.

Kennedy’s other publishing credits for kids include “The Presidents Decoded,” “The Constitution Decoded” and due out next spring “The Declaration Decoded.” Her book on the Alamo will follow.

Her debut novel for adults, a hockey romance entitled “Hearts On Thin Ice,” came out in June 2024.

“Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? The Witch Trials of 1692” is available as a paperback, hardcover, audiobook and ebook. Learn more at katiekennedybooks.com.