Susanna English desperately wants to join the circle of girls who meet every week at the parsonage, but she doesn t realize the leader of the group, the malicious Ann Putnam, is about to set off a torrent of false accusations that will lead to the imprisonment and execution of countless innocent people-victims of a witch-hunt panic. The author s skillful manipulation of the conventions of the young-adult novel-particularly the rich exploration of being an outsider and going against the mainstream-makes this book a superb vehicle for examining the social dynamics of this legendary event. -The Horn Book Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Boredom and frustration in a small Puritan town provide fertile ground for a band of teenage girls to incite and nurture deadly mischief. Susannah English, caught between the desire to be a part of the group and her revulsion toward their wickedness, finds herself an unwilling party to what would become the Salem witch trials. A graceful blend of fiction and history, Rinaldi's incisive and thoughtful narrative brings to life a dark period in America's past. The reader is confronted with conflicting and disturbing issues: lies masquerading as divine truth, courage, trust and the terrifying power of a rising tide of hysteria. The artful placement of Susannah as an observer provides a 360-degree view of the causes and effects of inexplicable mass persecution. At the same time, the author's quiet, factual style stands in a soothing contrast to her inherently shocking and histrionic subject matter. Finely tuned, well researched and very accessible, this novel ranks with Rinaldi's finest work. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 6-10-- Well researched, this story of the Salem witch trials is told 14 years later from the perspective of a young woman who lin gered on the fringes of the bewitched girls' circle in 1692. Susanna English, daughter of a free-thinking Salem family, is both attracted to and frightened by what she sees brewing in Tituba's kitchen. When the group begins to ``cry out'' on townspeople, one girl admits to Susanna that they are playing a game, seeking freedom from the harsh Puritan code of con duct. As the game gains momentum, the circle begins to believe in its own power. One young woman warns Susanna that if she betrays them, the bewitched girls will accuse her fami ly. In fact, Susanna's family is torn apart, and so is all of Salem. The plot is rich with details and names that will be familiar to those who have read about the trials. However, despite the tumultuous events, the characters remain rigid. Contributing to the formality of the text is the author's use of Puritan diction and gram mar. Even Susanna's anguish, as she is torn between her fear of revealing her secret and her sense of responsibility because she is silent, is muted. Nevertheless, A Break with Charity portrays an excruciating era in American his tory from a unique perspective, and it will be enjoyed by readers who enjoy psychology, the supernatural, and history. An excellent com panion volume is Ann Petry's Tituba of Salem Village (HarperCollins, 1988). --Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Lib . System, Worcester, MA From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 7-10. Based on historical accounts of the Salem witch trials, Rinaldi's story has a twist--its heroine, Susanna, is a girl who knows that the witches' accusers are lying but is afraid to come forth. Susanna English actually lived in Salem at the time, but Rinaldi discloses in her afterword that Susanna's role in the "witchcraft business" is unknown. Here, Susanna is a key player who wants to join the circle of girls listening to the stories of the slave, Tituba, but because Susanna is of the gentry, the others don't want her around. Led by Ann Putnam, the girls in the circle begin naming witches in the community. Ann con~fesses to Susanna that their accusations are lies but threatens Susanna and her family, so the girl keeps silent. As witches are jailed and hanged, Susanna knows that she should come forward, but she must conquer her own fears and superstitions before she has the courage to disclose what she knows. So many citizens are mentioned that the story becomes very crowded at times, but the major characters are well drawn and hold attention. Readers wishing to know just how much of the story is true will find all their questions answered in the author's discussion of how she did her research and based her fictional elements on what she had learned. By focusing on someone who was neither a member of the circle nor one of the accused, Rinaldi offers fresh perspective on an ever-fascinating episode in American history. ~--Ilene Cooper From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Young adult author Ann Rinaldi was born in New York City on August 27, 1934. After high school, she became a secretary in the business world. She got married in 1960 and stopped working, but after having two children she decided to try writing. In 1969, she wrote a weekly column in the Somerset Messenger Gazette and in 1970 she wrote two columns a week for the Trentonian, which eventually led to her writing features and soft new stories. She published her first novel Term Paper in 1979, but was ultimately drawn to writing historical fiction when her son became involved in reenactments while he was in high school. Her first historical fiction novel was Time Enough for Drums. She also writes for the Dear America series. She currently lives in Somerville, New Jersey with her husband.

(Bowker Author Biography) Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.