Book Review - They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bartoletti, Susan. C. (2014). THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE K.K.K.: THE BIRTH OF
AN AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUP. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780544225824

2. PLOT SUMMARY

This book details the rise of the K.K.K., the Klu Klux Klan. It starts at the end of the civil
war to show why the group started and continues through their rise to power, the
violence they instigated, and the investigation that ensued into their cult. Using pictures,
illustrations, journal entries, and direct quotes to show multiple perspectives, the author
Susan Campbell Bartoletti gives a detailed and factual account of the K.K.K’s impact
throughout the years.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

With pictures, illustrations, or excerpts on every page, this book provides detailed
evidence and factual accounts that allow the reader to have multiple points of view of the
K.K.K. and the power they held over the region. The author doesn’t hold back in detailing
their violence and the effects they created that can still be seen today, even though
they’re not as prevalent. Middle school aged children would be able to grasp the
information provided and find the first hand accounts insightful. The author is able to stay
unbiased and provides the reasoning for these violent acts from the Klan’s perspective
and how it affected those they considered a target. The format continues to pull the
interest of the reader throughout the book with the different facets of information that is
readily available.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS AWARD
BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW
KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW: “Documentation is superb, and even the source notes are
fascinating. An exemplar of history writing and a must for libraries and classrooms.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Other nonfiction books by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
HOW WOMEN WON THE VOTE: ALICE PAUL, LUCY BURNS, AND THEIR BIG IDEA.
ISBN 978-0062841315
TERRIBLE TYPHOID MARY: A TRUE STORY OF THE DEADLIEST COOK IN
AMERICA. ISBN 978-0063295964
THE BOY WHO DARED. ISBN 978-0439680141

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