Katie Kennedy – författare

Be an active citizen. Know your Constitution! Ever wonder why the president has a Cabinet? Why there’s such thing as trial by jury? Why someday you’ll have to pay income tax, or why there are no Dukes, Duchesses, Counts, or Countesses in the United States? Because the Constitution says so––and so much more. And now, in The Constitution Decoded, the ideas, concepts, and rules that make America are unpacked and explained in detail to help all of us, kids and parents too, become more informed citizens. Written with impeccable clarity and illustrated in a style that brings America’s early days to life, this fascinating guide goes through the Constitution literally word by word, sentence by sentence, and idea by idea to give readers a true understanding of not only how the Framers envisioned the United States, but also why they made the choices they did. Here’s why, for example, the United States has three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial. It explains how bills become laws, why we have the right to free speech, how we can change the Constitution as our country evolves, and so much more. Packed with historical context and figures, vocabulary, anecdotes, and trivia, this book is an accessible yet richly layered work that belongs in every family library.

Ever wonder what the President does? Meet the 45* people who have held the job in this important book that showcases how they each led the country in their time-and features their own thoughts and words through their documents, letters, diaries, speeches and so much more. (*Very clever of you to catch this! the number is off by 1 because Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and the 24th president!)Some call it the most important job in the world. It's certainly the most powerful. And it's one that every citizen needs to know about because we're the ones who vote to put a president in office. Lively, informative, filled with firsts and facts, big ideas and compelling anecdotes, The Presidents Decoded, is a richly layered guide to the leaders who have shaped our nation.Featuring over 125 primary sources--including documents, speeches, letters, executive orders and diaries--each leader's time in office is broken down and explained to show the what, how and why of our leaders' thoughts, decisions and policies. Familiar documents like the preamble of the Declaration of Independence, The Emancipation Proclamation, and The Fugitive Slave Act - the part of the Compromise of 1850 that set the country on a path to Civil War - are included. But there's also George Washington's letter to Martha as he learns that he's been chosen to be the General of the Continental Army, a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt from a desperate family during the Great Depression, a letter from baseball legend Jackie Robinson urging John F. Kennedy to do more for civil rights, and the Executive Order limiting the hours of the federal work day, and so many more. Full-colour illustrations bring each president and their time in office to life on the page in their career-defining moments as history marches forward and changes the job - and our way of life - through inventions like the camera, the telephone, the first metal detector, services like the Navy and the Red Cross, and the rise of social media platforms like Twitter.As she did in The Constitution Decoded, Katie Kennedy shines a light on American History, this time through the lens of the leaders who shaped our nation.(*Very clever of you to catch this! the number is off by 1 because Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and the 24th president!)

Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1692. When the first girl fell down screaming, the people of Salem Village thought it might just be silliness. Then a second girl started barking. A third and fourth began to shake uncontrollably. A doctor said "an evil hand" had come upon the girls, and everyone knew: They were bewitched.But who were the witches? Everyone knew that too: the unprotected residents of Salem-the poor, the elderly, the ones who were a little bit strange. Soon more girls were having fits and naming people as witches. The village erupted in accusations, suspicion, and fear. By the time the witch trials ended, dozens of lives had been ruined, and twenty people were dead.And I saw it all.With a snarky and surprising first-person narrator - a historical figure that played a major role in events - acclaimed writer Katie Kennedy offers a fresh new take on the greatest true-crime story in American history.

Building on the success of Did You Hear What Happened in Salem?, acclaimed historian Katie Kennedy presents the larger-than-life historical figures, daring escapes, heartless betrayals, and noble sacrifices that led to the infamous Battle of the Alamo and the birth of the state of Texas.In the 1820s, when Texas was still a part of Mexico, settlers from the United States began to pour in. They brought covered wagons, chickens, and cannons. They brought enslaved people. And they brought grand ideas about what they should get to do in their new land, which were basically: whatever they wanted.The Mexican government wasn't so sure about that. But as more and more settlers moved in, the big personalities, rash decisions, and grand proclamations piled up. When these new "Texians" decided to declare independence, fighters like William Travis, Jim Bowie, and David Crockett came forward to resist the proud General Antonio López de Santa Anna and his army. They would face off at an old church in San Antonio, known as the Alamo.And I saw it all.With a funny and surprising first-person narrator, Did You Hear What Happened at the Alamo? offers a brutally honest-and wildly entertaining-new account of the creation of Texas and the stories we tell about our history."Irresistible" -Booklist, starred review

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. . . ." So begins the Declaration of Independence, the fabled 1776 document in which a group of men in a distant colony of the British Empire declared their freedom from that Empire -- and thus changed the world. But WERE "all men created equal"? What are "unalienable rights"? And how did these men come to write this document anyway?In the style of Katie Kennedy's acclaimed THE CONSTITUTION DECODED and THE PRESIDENTS DECODED, this fascinating book goes through the Declaration sentence by sentence and idea by idea. Readers will gain a deep understanding of not only the basic meaning of the Founders' now-arcane language, but the historical background against which the Declaration was written, the situations that animated it (especially its 27 distinctly modern "grievances" against King George III), and the powerful arguments it makes about government, rights, responsibilities, and freedoms-arguments that we're still having 250 years later. (They'll also discover fun facts: That "unalienable" was probably a typo!) An essential guide for any student or teacher of civics and American history, or any patriotic American, THE DECLARATION DECODED brings this powerful text to life for a new generation.

Brimming with humor and one-of-a-kind characters, this end-of-the-world debut novel will grab hold of Andrew Smith and Rainbow Rowell fans.An asteroid is hurtling toward Earth. A big, bad one. Maybe not kill-all-the-dinosaurs bad, but at least kill-everyone-in-California-and-wipe-out-Japan-with-a-tsunami bad. Yuri, a physicist prodigy from Russia, has been recruited to aid NASA as they calculate a plan to avoid disaster.The good news is Yuri knows how to stop the asteroid--his research in antimatter will probably win him a Nobel prize if there''s ever another Nobel prize awarded. But the trouble is, even though NASA asked for his help, no one there will listen to him. He''s seventeen, and they''ve been studying physics longer than he''s been alive. Then he meets (pretty, wild, unpredictable) Dovie, who lives like a normal teenager, oblivious to the impending doom. Being with her, on the adventures she plans when he''s not at NASA, Yuri catches a glimpse of what it means to save the world and live a life worth saving. Also by Katie Kennedy:What Goes Up

Brimming with humor, multiple dimensions, and a saving-the-world adventure, this is accessible sci-fi that''s perfect for fans of Andrew Smith or Patrick Ness.Rosa and Eddie are among hundreds of teens applying to NASA''s mysterious Interworlds Agency. They''re not exactly sure what the top-secret program entails, but they know they want in. Rosa has her brilliant parents'' legacies to live up to, and Eddie has nowhere else to go--he''s certainly not going to stick around and wait for his violent father to get out of jail. Even if they are selected, they have no idea what lies in store. But first they have to make it through round after round of crazy-competitive testing.And then something happens that even NASA''s scientists couldn''t predict . . . From the author of the acclaimed Learning to Swear in America comes another high-stakes adventure that''s absolutely out of this world. Praise for Learning to Swear in AmericaA Summer/Fall 2016 Indies Introduce selectionAn Indie Next Pick

A pro hockey player falls for an interior designer in this charming debut sports romance. For fans of Icebreaker and Set On You, this flirty workplace rom-com explores mental health, belonging, and finding your way in the world.Nick Sorensen had once been one of the fastest men in hockey—until the devastating plane crash that took the lives of his best friends, leaving him the only survivor. Now he’s physically ready to get back on the ice, but his coach is concerned Nick isn’t doing as well mentally as he says he is. Case in point: Nick’s apartment is completely empty, apart from a single chair and a mattress on the floor.To prove he’s fine, really, Nick hires Alyssa Compton, an up-and-coming interior designer, to decorate his space. Alyssa’s thrilled at the chance to prove herself to her demanding boss—with job security at last, maybe she can finally put down roots and create a home for herself too. But Nick turns out to be infuriatingly stubborn and impossible to work with, and just when Alyssa decides to throw in the towel on the whole thing, Nick shows up for her in a way she never could have expected.  The icy path ahead of these two lost souls may be slippery and cracking, but when it comes to love, sometimes all you need is someone on your team.

'History’s hottest gossip' - You Magazine'A tongue-in-cheek whirlwind through 365 days of history' - Sunday PostTikTok sensation Katie Kennedy, aka @TheHistoryGossip, serves up a delicious blend of fascinating, witty and salacious history tea for every day of the year.With infectious wit and historical insight, The History Gossip brings you the mad, bad and dangerous tales from around the world. With entries for every day of the year, this is history … but not as you know it.Equal parts fascinating and funny, Katie's unique brand of humour takes readers on a romp through the history books and answers burning questions such as ‘Was Anne of Cleves a minger’, ‘Did Mary Shelley lose her V-card on her mother’s grave’ and ‘Did George IV eat himself to death’ and more.What better way to start your day than find out what other people have done before? The History Gossip reveals the funny, strange and utterly juicy tidbits throughout world history, each with a modern twist of pop culture references and contemporary slang.This is the ultimate blend of ‘On this day’ history education and humour, making it the perfect gift or self-purchase for history lovers.

'History’s hottest gossip' - You Magazine'A tongue-in-cheek whirlwind through 365 days of history' - Sunday PostTikTok sensation Katie Kennedy, aka @TheHistoryGossip, serves up a delicious blend of fascinating, witty and salacious history tea for every day of the year.With infectious wit and historical insight, The History Gossip brings you the mad, bad and dangerous tales from around the world. With entries for every day of the year, this is history … but not as you know it.Equal parts fascinating and funny, Katie's unique brand of humour takes readers on a romp through the history books and answers burning questions such as ‘Was Anne of Cleves a minger’, ‘Did Mary Shelley lose her V-card on her mother’s grave’ and ‘Did George IV eat himself to death’ and more.What better way to start your day than find out what other people have done before? The History Gossip reveals the funny, strange and utterly juicy tidbits throughout world history, each with a modern twist of pop culture references and contemporary slang.This is the ultimate blend of ‘On this day’ history education and humour, making it the perfect gift or self-purchase for history lovers.