ISBN:
Format:
Pages:
Size:
Category:
Age Range:
Publication:
Price:
Junior Library Guild Selection
NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies 2018 Selection
ILA-CBC Children's Choices List 2018
Amelia Bloomer List 2018
978-1-939547-33-0
Hardcover
44pp, color
11in x 10in
Juvenile Nonfiction: Biography/Women
5 and up
April 2017
$18.99
“With the need for more stories about
historical women who overcame the prejudices of the day and had the adventurous life that draws young reader, librarians will want to include this in their collections. Kate shows that reading books does matter and will help you success in the future. This may inspire a few future detectives.”
— Anni West LaPrise, Huron School District
“Young readers will love meeting the
fascinating Kate Warne in this exciting mystery within a biography. Gorgeous art perfectly captures the intrigue while the fast-paced high profile case will keep readers flying through the pages. Sure to please a wide audience.”
— Jenna Friebel, Oak Park Public Library
"When Kate Warne applied for a job with the Pinkerton Agency, Allan Pinkerton assumed she wanted to cook or clean, but he agreed to try her out as an agent. Assigned to a tough case with high stakes, Warne went undercover and not only found the stolen money, she got almost all of it returned. The Adams Express Case made the reputation of the fledgling Pinkerton Agency, turning it into the biggest, most prestigious detective company in the world. Warne went on to direct an entire women's division of detectives and Pinkerton relied on her for his hardest cases. This is an aspect of American history well worth knowing and author Marissa Moss's inherently fascinating story is wonderfully enhanced with the illustrations of April Chu. The result is a singularly informative and entertaining picture book that is unreservedly recommended for young readers ages 5 to 13 and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to family, school, and community library American Biography picture book collections." -- Midwest Book Review"A cinematic treatment of derring-do and yet another testament to the importance of women in the historical evolution of the United States."
— Kirkus Reviews
Kate Warne: Pinkerton Detective
By Marissa Moss
Illustrated by April Chu
When Kate Warne applied for a job with the Pinkerton Agency, Pinkerton assumed she wanted to cook or clean, but he agreed to try her out as an agent. Assigned to a tough case with high stakes, Warne went undercover and not only found the stolen money, she got almost all of it returned. The Adams Express Case made the reputation of the fledgling Pinkerton Agency, turning it into the biggest, most prestigious detective company in the world.
"Fresh, informative with the 'pop' of a well-crafted STING! Both boys and girls along with their families will be rooting for Kate -- from her coup as first female detective at the Pinkerton Agency to cracking the case with the help of BOOKS. The illustrative style can't be beat."
— Cynthia Callander, Vero Beach Book Center, Vero Beach, FL
"It’s 1856 and Kate Carter wants to experience the exciting adventures she reads about in books. Seeing an ad for a detective at the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Kate changes her name to Kate Warne and approaches Allan Pinkerton hoping to be hired. Kate emphasizes the fact that sometimes women can do things that male agents cannot, such as getting into certain places, or becoming a confidant of female informants. Convinced, Pinkerton gives Kate her first case, the Adams Express Case, which involves embezzlement. Through her determination and bravery in dangerous situations, Kate solves the case and receives renown that opens opportunities for other women in the field. The illustrations, drawn with pencil on paper and then digitally colored, add to the depiction of the period. This book provides insight into the life of the first woman detective in the country. Readers will see the inner workings of the detective profession and the determination of a woman who desired to become involved in a career previously open only to men."
— Jo Drudge, Educational Reviewer, Rome City, Indiana
"Kate Warne made history by becoming the first female detective in the U.S., and this beautifully illustrated biography offers details of her early career. After impressing Allan Pinkerton with her argument for the importance of women detectives, she's assigned an embezzlement case, and she poses as a society lady to earn the trust of a suspect's wife. With her quick thinking, cool attitude, and superior observation skills, Kate befriends the woman and learns key details about the crime. Thanks to her excellent work on her first case, she eventually heads up Pinkerton's women's division. Chu's full-bleed, antique-toned illustrations have a cinematic flair, which nicely heightens the dramatic tension."
— Booklist
"In a story infused with mystery, Moss (the Amelia's Notebook series) introduces Kate Warne, who became the first woman detective in the U.S after being hired by the Pinkerton Agency in 1856. The brunt of the book follows Warne through an early case involving $40,000 in stolen funds, during which she adopted an alias and befriended the wife of the prime suspect. Chu (Ada Bryon Lovelace and the Thinking Machine) amplifies the story's intrigue in shadowy scenes that capture the unfolding game of cat and mouse."
— Publishers Weekly
