Hiding in Plain Sight

Kate Warne and the Race to Save Abraham Lincoln

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Calkins Creek

(Astra Books for Young Readers)

(pub. 1.28.2025

48 pages

Ages 7 - 10

Author: Beth Anderson

   Illustrator: Sally Wern Comport

Character: Kate Warne

Overview:

" Abraham Lincoln faces a dangerous and uncertain future after leaving Springfield, Illinois, for his inauguration in Washington, DC. Luckily for him, detective Kate Warne has his back, even if he didn’t know it yet.

Working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Kate uncovers the rebel plot to kill Abraham Lincoln in Baltimore. Kate warns Lincoln’s staff that this only Southern city on his inaugural train route to Washington, DC is planning a deadly welcome. President-elect Lincoln is urged to change his route. But he refuses to cancel his commitments. In a race against time, Kate and Pinkerton have one last chance. Using disguises, false names, and the cover of darkness, the detectives put their plan into action."

Tantalizing taste:

"Mrs. Barley eavesdropped on rebel talk.

Coaxed out secrets.

Scanned the hotel parlor.

In the doorway, she caught a signal.

And slipped upstairs to her room.

Tap... tap ... tap...

Kate Warne opened the door, and Allan Pinkerton ducked iside.

Before she could report what she'd just uncovered, her boss's ace confirmed the worst.

The plot to kill Lincoln in Baltimore was real!"

And something more: Vivian Kirkfield, another picture book author of a new book, One Girl's Voice - How Lucy Stone Helped Change the Law of the Land, featured an interview of the two authors on her blog. Beth Anderson, author of Hiding in Plain Sight shared: "Kate’s story interested me for so many reasons! It was a detective story! With a gutsy woman who blazed an unusual path. It’s about a piece of history, the Baltimore Plot, which I’d never heard of before. And, it features a favorite person from history, Abraham Lincoln. Like me, I think kids will connect to the secrets, a dangerous plot, and be fascinated by this exciting peek “behind the scenes” that lets us know how complicated, and surprising, history can be."

Kids need to know about Kate because she’s a “regular” person like most of us. She put herself out there, not seeking fame and fortune, and took risks for others—and she impacted history. This event shows how important us regular people are, which can inspire hope, courage, and action when we look at the world today."