History Smashers: Salem Witch Trials By Kate Messner; illustrated by Falynn Koch

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about the Salem Witch Trials in the hit History Smashers nonfiction series. Perfect for fans of the I Survived books and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

In 1692, a few paranoid Puritans accused their neighbors of being witches sending the town flying off the (broomstick) handle. Before it was all over, dozens of women in Salem, Massachusetts were executed—burned at the stake. RIGHT?

WRONG! There was some serious witch worry, but no one in the United States was put on a pyre (though the truth isn't much better). And women weren’t the only ones caught in crossfire…maybe don’t read this one aloud to your dog.

What really happened? The truth is historians aren’t totally sure. But it is certain that religious beliefs, a changing world, and a few super nosy neighbors collided to spell disaster for one New England town. No joke!

From award-winning author Kate Messner comes the acclaimed nonfiction series that demolishes everything you thought you knew about history. And bust more puzzles of the past in History Smashers: Christopher Columbus and the Taino People, The Mayflower, and The Underground Railroad among others!

History Smashers: Christopher Columbus and the Taino People By Kate Messner and Jose Barreiro; illustrated by Falynn Koch

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about Christopher Columbus, and learn all about the Taino people. Perfect for fans of the I Survived books and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed across the ocean and discovered America. Right? WRONG! Columbus never actually set foot in what is now the United States. His voyages took him to islands in the Caribbean and along the coast of South America. 

The truth is, when Columbus first arrived, Indigenous peoples, including the Taino, had been living there for thousands of years, raising their families, running their societies, and trading with their neighbors. He didn’t “discover” the lands at all! And his name? Not even really Christopher Columbus! Cowritten by bestselling author Kate Messner and our country’s premier Taino scholar, this fascinating addition to the series is the one that teachers have been asking for and that kids need to read.

Discover the nonfiction series that demolishes everything you thought you knew about history. Don’t miss History Smashers: The Mayflower, Women's Right to Vote, and Pearl Harbor.

History Smashers: The Underground Railroad By Kate Messner and Gwendolyn Hooks; illustrated by Damon Smyth

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about the Underground Railroad and Black Americans' struggle for freedom. Perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

Before the Civil War, there was a crack team of abolitionists who used quilts and signal lanterns to guide enslaved people to freedom. RIGHT? WRONG! The truth is, the Underground Railroad wasn't very organized, and most freedom seekers were on their own.
 
With a mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels, acclaimed author Kate Messner and coauthor and Brown Bookshelf contributor Gwendolyn Hooks deliver the whole truth about the Underground Railroad.

Discover the nonfiction series that smashes everything you thought you knew about history!

History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics By Kate Messner; illustrated by Falynn Koch

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about history's pandemics, from the Black Death to COVID-19. Perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

During the Black Death in the 14th century, plague doctors wore creepy beaked masks filled with herbs. RIGHT?
WRONG! Those masks were from a plague outbreak centuries later--and most doctors never wore anything like that at all!
 
With a mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels, acclaimed author Kate Messner delivers the whole truth about diseases like the bubonic plague, cholera, smallpox, tuberculosis, polio, influenza, and COVID-19.

Discover the nonfiction series that smashes everything you thought you knew about history! Don't miss History Smashers: The Mayflower, Women's Right to Vote, Pearl Harbor, Titanic, and American Revolution.

History Smashers: Pearl Harbor By Kate Messner; illustrated by Dylan Meconis

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the infamous Pearl Harbor attack with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. The fun mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels make this perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a completely unpredictable attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Right? Well, that's not quite the real deal. Some military experts had suggested that Pearl Harbor was a likely target. There were other warning signs, too, but nobody paid much attention. From the first wave of the Japanese bombers to the United States' internment of thousands of Japanese Americans, acclaimed author Kate Messner smashes history by exploring the little-known truths behind the story of Pearl Harbor and its aftermath.

Don't miss History Smashers: The Mayflower and Women's Right to Vote

History Smashers: Women's Right to Vote By Kate Messner; illustrated by Dylan Meconis

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Smash the stories behind famous moments in history and expose the hidden truth. Perfect for fans of I Survived and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

In 1920, Susan B. Anthony passed a law that gave voting rights to women in the United States. RIGHT?

WRONG! Susan B. Anthony wasn't even alive when the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified. Plus, it takes a lot more than one person to amend the constitution.

The truth is, it took millions of women to get that amendment into law. They marched! They picketed! They even went to jail. But in the end, it all came down to a letter from a state representative's mom. No joke.

Through illustrations, graphic panels, photographs, sidebars, and more, acclaimed author Kate Messner smashes history by exploring the little-known details behind the fight for women's suffrage.

Don't miss History Smashers: The Mayflower!

History Smashers: The Titanic By Kate Messner; illustrated by Matt Aytch Taylor

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the sinking of the Titanic with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. The fun mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels make this perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

On April 15, 1912 an "unsinkable" ship called the Titanic unexpectedly hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Right?

Wrong! Nobody was really talking about the Titanic being unsinkable until after it sank.

The truth is, four different ships wired the Titanic to report icebergs and field ice in the area. But the Titanic never slowed down. In fact, when the Californian warned that it was trapped in ice, the Titanic's wireless operator was so busy sending outgoing messages that he replied, "Shut up!" No joke.

Discover the nonfiction series that demolishes everything you thought you knew about history.

Don't miss History Smashers: The Mayflower, Women's Right to Vote, and Pearl Harbor.

History Smashers: The American Revolution By Kate Messner; illustrated by Justin Greenwood

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the Revolutionary War with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. The fun mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels make this perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere rode through Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, shouting, "The British are coming!" to start the American Revolution.RIGHT?

WRONG! Paul Revere made it to Lexington, but before he could complete his mission, he was captured!

The truth is, dozens of Patriots rode around warning people about the Redcoats' plans that night. It was actually a man named Samuel Prescott who succeeded, alerting townspeople in Lexington and then moving on to Concord. But the Revolutionary War didn't officially start for more than a year after Prescott's ride. No joke.

Discover the nonfiction series that smashes everything you thought you knew about history. Don't miss History Smashers: The Mayflower, Women's Right to Vote, Pearl Harbor, and Titanic.

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This Land By Ashley Fairbanks; illustrated by Bridget George

This land is your land now, but who did it belong to before? This engaging primer about native lands invites kids to trace history and explore their communities.

Before my family lived in this house, a different family did, and before them, another family, and another before them. And before that, the family whothat lived here lived not in a house, but a wigwam. Who lived where you are before you got there?

This Land teaches readers that American land, from our backyards to our schools to Disney World, are the traditional homelands of many Indigenous nations. This Land will spark curiosity and encourage readers to explore the history of the places they live and the people who have lived there throughout time and today.

Borderlands and the Mexican American Story By David Dorado Romo

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story, about migrants crossing borders, drawn to the promise of a better life. In reality, Mexicans were on this land long before any borders existed. Here's the true story of America, from the Mexican American perspective.

The Mexican American story is usually carefully presented as a story of immigrants: migrants crossing borders, drawn to the promise of a better life. In reality, Mexicans were on this land long before any borders existed. Their culture and practices shaped the Southwestern part of this country, in spite of relentless attempts by white colonizers and settlers to erase them.

From missions and the Alamo to muralists, revolutionaries, and teen activists, this is the true story of the Mexican American experience.


The Race to the Truth series tells the true history of America from the perspective of different communities. These books correct common falsehoods and celebrate underrepresented heroes and achievements. They encourage readers to ask questions and to approach new information thoughtfully. Check out the other books in the series: Colonization and the Wampanoag Story, Slavery and the African American Story, and Exclusion and the Chinese American Story.

Exclusion and the Chinese American Story By Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story, but Chinese American history extends far beyond the railroads. Here's the true story of America, from the Chinese American perspective.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

If you've learned about the history of Chinese people in America, it was probably about their work on the railroads in the 1800s. But more likely, you may not have learned about it at all. This may make it feel like Chinese immigration is a newer part of this country, but some scholars believe the first immigrant arrived from China 499 CE--one thousand years before Columbus did! 

When immigration picked up in the mid-1800s, efforts to ban immigrants from China began swiftly. But hope, strength, and community allowed the Chinese population in America to flourish. From the gold rush and railroads to entrepreneurs, animators, and movie stars, this is the true story of the Chinese American experience.

Colonization and the Wampanoag Story By Linda Coombs

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story: the "discovery" of America told by Christopher Columbus, the Pilgrims, and the Colonists. Here's the true story of America from the Indigenous perspective.

When you think about the beginning of the American story, what comes to mind? Three ships in 1492, or perhaps buckled hats and shoes stepping off of the Mayflower, ready to start a new country. But the truth is, Christopher Columbus, the Pilgrims, and the Colonists didn't arrive to a vast, empty land ready to be developed. They arrived to find people and communities living in harmony with the land they had inhabited for thousands of years, and they quickly disrupted everything they saw.

From its "discovery" by Europeans to the first Thanksgiving, the story of America's earliest days has been carefully misrepresented. Told from the perspective of the New England Indigenous Nations that these outsiders found when they arrived, this is the true story of how America as we know it today began.

Slavery and the African American Story By Patricia Williams Dockery

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story: how slavery began, and how America split itself in two to end it. Here's the true story of America from the African American perspective.

From the moment Africans were first brought to the shores of the United States, they had a hand in shaping the country. Their labor created a strong economy, built our halls of government, and defined American society in profound ways. And though the Emancipation Proclamation wasn't signed until 300 years after the first Africans arrived, the fight for freedom started the moment they set foot on American soil. 
This book contains the true narrative of the first 300 years of Africans in America: the struggles, the heroes, and the untold stories that are left out of textbooks. If you want to learn the truth about African American history in this country, start here.