I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story - by Jeramey Kraatz

Book Synopsis

Charlie witnesses a murder at his next-door neighbor Lizzie Borden's house, but will anyone believe what he saw? For fans of I Survived and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales but with a true crime twist, read about Lizzie Borden's trial of the century in this I Witnessed graphic novel.

On the morning of August 4, 1892, fourteen-year-old Charlie sees a horrifying act unfold at his next-door neighbor Lizzie Borden's house--something he can't keep to himself. Yet no one believes what Charlie saw . . . not even when Andrew and Abby Borden are found dead later that morning. Charlie is determined to use all that he witnessed to help find the murderer...even if it means having to face the prime suspect, his enigmatic neighbor Lizzie Borden, accused of killing her own father and stepmother. What began as one innocent moment of being in the wrong place at the wrong time becomes a suspenseful game of cat and mouse as Lizzie faces the trial of the century, and Charlie must ask himself: Can you ever really know someone's true character?

Inspired by the real fourteen-year-old neighbor of Lizzie Borden, Charlie's story offers a fictional kid POV rooted in historical facts about the Borden family, the house, and the infamous trial. Case fact sidebars offer additional nonfiction elements to the story.

Review Quotes

Borden's persistently compelling story lends a perfect background for a graphic novel about sensationalism, murder, media, high-profile court cases, and the effect they can have on communities. -- School Library Journal

A true whodunit, rich in ambiguities and suggestive hints. -- Kirkus Reviews