Hiding in Plain Sight: Kate Warne and the Race to Save Abraham Lincoln

Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

Working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Kate Warne uses her exceptional acting and conversational skills to help uncover the rebel plot to kill Abraham Lincoln in Baltimore. The only Southern city on his inaugural train route to Washington, DC is planning a deadly welcome. Kate warns Lincoln’s staff. The president-elect 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.

Can they sneak Lincoln through Baltimore undetected?
Can they fool the spies watching his every move?
Can they get Lincoln safely to DC?

This exciting American history picture book from award-winning author Beth Anderson, well-known for action-packed books on daring women, and illustrated by Sally Wern Comport in her signature mix of collage, drawing, and paint, brings Kate to thrilling and vivid life.

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT Educator Guide

Activities for Dream Weavers: Individual Dreams and the Fabric of Community

Break the Rules to Create the Read: Student Writing Activity

Trading Places: Connecting Story Elements Across Texts and Time

Intro to the book video from Beth Anderson

Mini Video For the Classroom: Story Elements—Setting Activity from Beth Anderson

TeachingBooks page with classroom activities and resources

Book pairing options for teachers: Uncovering Secrets and Solving Mysteries: Detectives, Investigators, and Spies for Ages 7-17

REVIEWS

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…Anderson (Lizzie Demands a Seat!, 2020) weaves questions through the text to heighten reader engagement in the events and employs a succinct sentence structure that palpably conveys the mission’s urgency… Comport, illustrator of Susan Hood’s Ada’s Violin (2016), immerses us in the drama with sepia-toned artwork that lends an aged feel to the framed pages. Meticulous illustrations employ the “scrapbook house” collage style of the era, highlights of which include superbly detailed garments and period furniture. The subtle inclusion of timepieces throughout amplifies the exigency of Warne’s work. Extensive back matter includes source and illustrators’ notes and elaborate on Warne’s ability to hide in plain sight by camouflaging herself to investigative circumstances through wardrobe and words. An apt companion to Marissa Moss’ books on Warne and Pinkerton, this is a lively choice for U.S. history or Women’s History Month… — Kit Ballenger

This expertly paced tale ratchets up the tension as readers learn that Lincoln’s life was in danger as he set out by train to Washington, D.C., for his 1861 presidential inauguration. Anderson adeptly plays with dramatic irony: Readers likely already know that he ultimately made it. But how? Enter Kate Warne, “the first female detective in the United States,” … Organized chronologically, each spread opens like a scrapbook, with pictorial maps of Lincoln’s train route and framed portraits of principal characters and events, all suffused in an ominous, dusky palette. Cleverly, Comport incorporates recurring images of timepieces, matching the sense of suspense layered into Anderson’s text—time is indeed of the essence. A lively, luminous account of a lesser-known woman’s ingenious contribution to presidential history. (afterword, bibliography, illustrator’s note, archival photographs, picture credits) (Informational picture book. 7-10) Kirkus

This fascinating, well-written, and creatively illustrated book tells the story of Kate Warne, a detective who worked for the Pinkerton Detective agency who had a major role in preventing attempts on the life of Abraham Lincoln as he traveled to Washington to assume the presidency. Intriguing endpapers show the route Lincoln traveled, and fascinating illustrations. Extensive back matter includes additional information on several topics, documents, photographs, an afterword and more. A wonderful book to share with young readers. – Myra Zarnowski, Queens College, CUNY

“…suspenseful… Short, unadorned sentences and phrases move the narrative along at an appropriate pace; the terse writing style perfectly conveys the urgency of Kate Warne’s assignment and the bravery this 19th century heroine had to muster. The illustrations resemble old-fashioned collage albums (which the illustrator’s note identifies as “scrapbook houses”) and the inclusion of various timely artifacts (such as maps) perfectly support the text. Nearly every page spread features a small plaque with the date and location of the events therein, helping readers follow along chronologically. Extensive back matter includes background about Warne, the railroads, and 19th century detective work and will help with any unanswered questions readers may have at the end of the narrative.” ~Youth Services Book Review

Nothing like a good old assassination plot storyline to keep the kids interested in historical nonfiction, that’s what I always say. And what story could be wilder and stranger than the one about how Kate Warne and the Pinkerton Detective Agency thwarted an assassination attempt against Abraham Lincoln? Anderson plays fair with her telling of the event. There’s no fake dialogue or delving into the thoughts of these characters without backup. She doesn’t need to! Inventive and exciting writing stands for itself. Meanwhile Comport’s art does interesting things with both her own illustrations and the illustrations of the past, merged together. Indeed, the publication page says that the art was created, “using drawings in pencil, traditional collage, digital collage, and digital paint.” It gets around the whole boring sepia problem we sometimes have when we put old photos into books for kids. I was a bit shocked to learn at the end (in the COPIOUS backmatter – well done there) that no one today knows what Kate Warne actually looked like! Full to the brim with facts on everything from railroads at the time to code names, this is American history done solid! 2025 List of American History Books for Kids from Fuse8 from Betsy Bird