Witch Hunt - by Andrea Balis & Elizabeth Levy (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

A cutting-edge look into a pivotal moment in US history: McCarthy's infamous "witch hunt" for communists during the 1950's Red Scare.

At the cusp of the Cold War, Americans were so afraid of communists living among them that they began to hunt them like witches. As Senator Joe McCarthy took up this mantle to hunt down "communists" in the US, citizens grew terrified of being accused, so they turned on each other - pointing fingers at neighbors, friends, and even family.

Told through a unique and inviting screenplay-format, brought to life with dozens of illustrations by Tim Foley, and comprised almost entirely of quotes derived from primary sources, Witch Hunt recounts the political craze that gripped America during the Red Scare when McCarthyism forced people to go to extraordinary lengths to keep themselves and their families safe from persecution against their own government.

Review Quotes

A JLG Gold Standard Selection
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Flora Stieglitz Straus Award Winner
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year

★ "A scorcher that exposes shameful attitudes, personalities, and events that might seem eerily familiar." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "A fast-paced, even suspenseful read that brings history dramatically alive." -- Booklist, starred review

"An almost irrefutable argument that global events are as inextricable as they are unpredictable, and that history is not, in fact, a straight timeline." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This compelling volume on mid-20th-century American politics is a must for research students and history buffs alike." -- School Library Journal

About the Author

Dr. Andrea Balis is a faculty member in the history department of John Jay College, City University of New York. Her specialization is twentieth century political history. She is the author of What Are You Using: A Birth Control Guide for Teenagers and a novel, PJ.

Elizabeth Levy is the award-winning author of over 100 fiction and non-fiction books for children and young adults. She is known for the humor and research that she brings to her subjects, including working with renowned historians for America's Funny but True History and If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution.

Andrea and Elizabeth are the authors of Bringing Down a President: The Watergate Scandal.

Tim Foley was born in Flint, Michigan, and attended college at the Kendall School of Art. His has illustrated such books as Ben Thompson and Erik Slader's Epic Fails history series. Tim lives and works in Grand Rapids with his wife, Terri.