Duey, Kathleen 1950–

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Duey, Kathleen 1950–

PERSONAL:

Born 1950. Hobbies and other interests: Singing, playing guitar, songwriting, horses, gardening, travel, blogging, and learning.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—Fallbrook, CA.

CAREER:

Writer and novelist.

MEMBER:

Authors Guild, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Young Hoosier's Award nominee for Train Wreck: Kansas, 1892; Golden Duck Award for Rex.

WRITINGS:

"AMERICAN DIARIES" SERIES

Sarah Anne Hartford: Massachusetts, 1651, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1996.

Emma Eileen Grove: Mississippi, 1865, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1996.

Anisett Lundberg: California, 1851, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1996.

Mary Alice Peale: Philadelphia, 1777, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1996.

Willow Chase: Kansas Territory, 1847, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1997.

Ellen Elizabeth Hawkins: Mobeetie, Texas, 1886, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1997.

Alexia Ellery Finsdale: San Francisco, 1905, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1997.

Evie Peach: St. Louis, 1857, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1997.

Celou Sudden Shout: Idaho, 1826, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Summer MacCleary: Virginia, 1749, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Agnes May Gleason: Walsenberg, Colorado, 1933, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Amelina Carrett: Bayou Grand Coeur, Louisiana, 1863, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1999.

Josie Poe: Palouse, Washington, 1943, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1999.

Rosa Moreno: Hollywood, California, 1928, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1999.

Francesca Vigilucci: Washington, D.C., 1913, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2000.

Maddie Retta Lauren: Sandersville, Georgia, C.S.A, 1864, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2000.

Nell Dunne: Ellis Island, 1904, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2000.

Janey G. Blue: Pearl Harbor, 1941, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2001.

Amelina Carrett: Thibodeau, Louisiana, 1870, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2002.

Zellie Blake: Massachusetts, 1836, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2002.

WITH KAREN A. BALE; "SURVIVAL!" SERIES

Earthquake, 1906, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Cave-In: St. Claire, Pennsylvania, 1859, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Stranded: Death Valley, 1850, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Flood: Mississippi, 1927, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Blizzard: Estes Park, Colorado, 1886, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Fire: Chicago, 1871, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Titanic: April 14, 1912, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1998.

Hurricane: Open Seas, 1844, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1999.

Train Wreck: Kansas, 1892, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1999.

Swamp: Bayou Teche, Louisiana, 1851, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1999.

Forest Fire: Hinckley, Minnesota, 1894, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1999.

Hurricane: New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1784, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1999.

San Francisco Earthquake, 1906, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Louisiana Hurricane, 1860, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

"BEASTY BUDDIES" SERIES; PICTURE BOOKS

Hogger the Hoarding Beastie, Smart Kids Publishing (Carlsbad, CA), 1999.

Moogie the Messy Beastie, Smart Kids Publishing (Carlsbad, CA), 1999.

Crassy the Crude Beastie, Smart Kids Publishing (Carlsbad, CA), 2001.

Glumby the Grumbling Beastie, Smart Kids Publishing (Carlsbad, CA), 2001.

"ALONE IN THE DARK" SERIES

Beware the Alien Invasion!, Smart Kids Publishing (Carlsbad, CA), 2000.

Boogeyman in the Basement!, Smart Kids Publishing (Carlsbad, CA), 2000.

Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide!, Smart Kids Publishing (Carlsbad, CA), 2000.

Stay out of the Graveyard!, Smart Kids Publishing (Carlsbad, CA), 2000.

"UNICORN'S SECRET" SAGA

Moonsilver, illustrated by Omar Rayyan, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2001.

The Silver Thread, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2001.

The Silver Bracelet, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2002.

Mountains of the Moon, illustrated by Omar Rayyan, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2002.

The Sunset Gates, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2002.

Beyond the Sunset, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2002.

Castle Avamir, illustrated by Omar Rayyan, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2003.

True Heart, illustrated by Omar Rayyan, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2003.

The Journey Home, illustrated by Omar Rayyan, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2003.

"TIME SOLDIERS" SERIES

Rex, photography by Robert Gould, illustrations by Eugene Epstein, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2001.

Rex 2, photography by Robert Gould, illustrations by Eugene Epstein, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2001.

Patch, photography by Robert Gould, illustrations by Eugene Epstein, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2002.

Arthur, photography by Robert Gould, illustrations by Eugene Epstein, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2004.

Mummy, photography by Robert Gould, illustrations by Eugene Epstein, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2005.

Pony Express, photography by Robert Gould, illustrations by Eugene Epstein, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2006.

Samurai, photography by Robert Gould, illustrations by Eugene Epstein, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2006.

"SPIRIT OF THE CIMARRON" SERIES

Bonita, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

Esperanza, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

Sierra, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (adapted from the motion picture), Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

"HOOFBEATS" SERIES

Katie and the Mustang Book One, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2004.

Katie and the Mustang Book Two, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2004.

Katie and the Mustang Book Three, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2004.

Katie and the Mustang Book Four, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2004.

Lara and the Gray Mare, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2005.

Lara and the Moon-Colored Filly, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2005.

Lara and the Silent Place, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2005.

Lara at Athenry Castle, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2005.

Silence and Lily, Penguin/Putnam (New York, NY), 2007.

OTHER

Double-Yuck Magic, Morrow/Avon (New York, NY), 1991.

Mr. Stumpguss Is a Third-Grader, Morrow/Avon (New York, NY), 1992.

The Third Grade's Skinny Pig, illustrated by Gioia Fiamenghi, Avon (New York, NY), 1993.

The Big Blue Easter Egg, Nesak International (Delray Beach, FL), 1996.

The Easter Morning Surprise, Nesak International (Delray Beach, FL), 1996.

(With Karen A. Bale) Three of Hearts, Morrow/Avon (New York, NY), 1998.

CX Ultimate Asteroid Book: The Inside Story on the Threat from the Skies, Sagebrush (Minneapolis, MN), 1998.

(With Mary Barnes) Freaky Facts about Natural Disasters, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Ron Berry) Allowance System Tool Kit: Easy to Use Tools that Teach Kids Money Values and Responsibilities, Smart Kids Publishing (Carlsbad, CA), 2000.

(With Mary Barnes) More Freaky Facts about Natural Disasters, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2001.

Spider-Man Ultimate Picture Book, number 1, photography by Robert Gould, illustrations by Eugene Epstein, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2002.

Terremoto, Planeta Publishing (Miami, FL), 2002.

X-Men Ultimate Picture Book, photography by Robert Gould, illustrations by Eugene Epstein, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2003.

(With Robert Gould and Eugene Epstein) 100 Easy Ways to Get Your Kids Reading: A Busy Mom's Guide, illustrations by Jacob Dubi, Big Guy Books (Carlsbad, CA), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Kathleen Duey began her career as a children's book author in the early 1990s with such titles as Mr. Stumpguss Is a Third-Grader and The Third Grade's Skinny Pig. In 1996 she created a series for readers in grade four to six that presents American history in a fictional adventure format. These "Diary" books, all begin and end with a diary entry. Every "American Diaries" title encompasses the events of a single day. Mary Alice Peale: Philadelphia, 1777 chronicles the household dramas of its well-to-do title character, whose father is loyal to the English monarchy. Mary Alice's brother, meanwhile, has run off to fight with colonial independence forces. When he is injured, she secretly helps by hiding him in their barn, while the family's Philadelphia home is host to British soldiers.

In Sarah Anne Hartford: Massachusetts, 1651, Duey chronicles the fictional experience of a young girl in Salem, Massachusetts, during the harsh Puritan era. Sarah is distraught over her widowed father's impending marriage to the coldly righteous Mistress Goddard, and Sarah's diary entries—just two days apart—recount her tale of mischief and its consequences. On a cold winter Sunday, twelve-year-old Sarah and her friend Elizabeth disobey strict standards about Sabbath behavior, and play and laugh on the ice on their way home from church services. Caught, they are then "pilloried" as punishment, locked into stocks in the Salem town square. Cold and aching, Sarah begins to question the values of her community. "The story is exciting and the characters are sympathetic," wrote Connie Parker in the School Library Journal, while Booklist's Karen Hutt stated that the story "personalizes the social mores and everyday life of Puritan New England."

Anisett Lundberg: California, 1851 is the story of a young girl during the California Gold Rush. Anisett's father has died, and her mother earns a living cooking for the miners. Anisett and her brother help with the work, and one day, after delivering food by mule to the camps, Anisett is kidnapped by a bitter and desperate miner after he overhears her describing an unusual rock she has found. Susan F. Marcus, writing in the School Library Journal, noted that the work portrays "the view of the gold-rush culture" and "highlights the courage of those who were part of it." Danger is also faced in Willow Chase: Kansas Territory, 1847, Duey's next title in the series. Willow is part of a wagon-train caravan full of settlers heading west across the Great Plains. Willow's mother gives one Native American man medicine for a sick child and later, while crossing the swollen Platte River with her family, Willow is swept away. They assume she is dead and move on, but Willow is discovered by the Native American to whom her mother had shown kindness, and he gives the girl his horse with which she rejoins her family. Booklist's Lauren Peterson termed the novel "a heartwarming family story with a likable protagonist."

A Texas cattle ranch is the setting for Ellen Elizabeth Hawkins: Mobeetie, Texas, 1886. Here, Duey's heroine writes of her desire to follow in her father's footsteps as a rancher, but is strongly discouraged from such talk because of her gender. That summer, however, a drought arrives, and with her father gone one day, Ellen's grandfather falls at their windmill; she must save him, fix the windmill blade, and drive their cattle, desperate for water, to the pastures. School Library Journal critic Sylvia V. Meisner called it a "satisfying story about a resourceful heroine" with "grit and determination to persevere against almost overwhelming odds."

Evie Peach: St. Louis, 1857 takes place before the American Civil War. The title character was once a slave, but their owner's last will and testament freed her and her father. They plan to buy her mother"s freedom, save 750 dollars to do so, and set out for the estate where she works. Irish neighbors plot revenge for a trick Evie has played on them. They steal Evie's mother's emancipation papers, and Evie's parents are arrested as runaway slaves. Evie is their only hope. Booklist writer Denia Hester liked this book's "good balance of warm, winning moments and well-plotted dramatic turns." Alexia Ellery Finsdale: San Francisco, 1905, another title from Duey in the series, recounts the story of a young girl whose mother has died. Alexia lives in a boarding house with her gambler father. Her landlady, a self-supporting seamstress, teaches her to sew. The promise of being able to fend for herself helps Alexia make the hardest decision of her life.

Celou Sudden Shout: Idaho, 1826 tells the story of a twelve-year-old girl whose father is a fur trapper of French origin. Her mother is Shoshone, but one day Celou's mother and brother are kidnapped by hostile Crow Indians when the father is away, and Celou must follow the raiding party in order to save them. Ann W. Moore, writing in the School Library Journal, called it an "exciting adventure story [that] also conveys information about the Shoshone." Summer MacCleary: Virginia, 1749, another title from Duey, recounts the story of an indentured servant who has been accused by the daughter of the plantation owner of stealing a ring. Summer must clear her name and solve the mystery, and she possesses, as Janet Gillen wrote in the School Library Journal, "redeeming qualities of strength and courage."

Duey's tales of young American girls facing danger and hardship span several decades and a variety of geographical places. Agnes May Gleason: Walsenberg, Colorado, 1933 tells the story of a young girl whose family is on the verge of losing their dairy farm because of the Depression. Agnes's older brother has run away to find work elsewhere, and all must now work to keep the business afloat. When her father is injured, the Gleason parents travel to see a doctor, and Agnes and her siblings decide to bottle the milk and deliver it themselves one dawn. They have a hard time controlling the horses, but persevere and avoid disaster. Coop Renner, a School Library Journal writer, described this work as a "swiftly moving novel" with an "unusual setting and well-drawn minor characters."

Cajun country during the American Civil War era is the setting for Amelina Carrett: Bayou Grand Coeur, Louisiana, 1863. An orphan, Amelina lives with her war-profiteer uncle in a Cajun swamp community. After gunfire erupts, she discovers an injured Union Army soldier and helps him despite the Cajuns' strong sentiments against Northerners. Amelina even gives him her late father's clothes so that he may escape to safety. School Library Journal writer Gillen found this title from Duey "written with insight and sensitivity," and liked the interesting detail about "Cajun life in the Louisiana bayou"; Gillen also commended the protagonist's "courage and fortitude."

The glamorous world of early Hollywood is the setting of Rosa Moreno: Hollywood, California, 1928. Rosa's late father was a Mexican actor, and she and her mother are determined that Rosa will achieve stardom as well. She takes elocution lessons, visits a hair salon to achieve a set of curls similar to those of the most famous child star of the era, Shirley Temple, and auditions for film roles frequently. When she meets a female film director, Rosa thinks she might like to direct, too. "Duey portrays Rosa's life vividly and realistically," noted the School Library Journal's Susan Knell, who also liked its glimpse into the rigors of child acting during this era.

The American immigrant experience is explored in Nell Dunne: Ellis Island, 1904, Duey's 2000 title in the series. Nell sails from Ireland to America with her family and, as her diary recounts, the journey is hardly a luxurious one: the cabins for immigrant passengers are cramped, and there are few facilities for washing. But Nell also tells of the magic she feels upon first seeing the New York City skyline. Duey, wrote School Library Journal critic Alison Grant, "captures the experience of thousands of immigrants seeking freedom and fortune" on the North American continent. The experiences of another immigrant group, the Japanese Americans, provide a subplot to Janey G. Blue: Pearl Harbor, 1941. Janey is from Kansas, but lives with her family near the Hawaii military base where her father works. She is curious about a shy quiet neighbor near her own age, Akiko Fujiwara. Janey and Akiko are thrown together in the confusion of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor's military installation. School Library Journal contributor Elaine Lesh Morgan noted that "the mood of fear and uncertainty is well maintained, and information about the attack is neatly interwoven" into Janey's tale.

Duey has created a number of ongoing series. Bonita is the first book in the "Spirit of the Cimarron" series, based on the animated motion picture from Dreamworks, Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron. In the story, Bonita is a lovely mare separated from her owners by the dangers of war in Mexico. To survive, she joins with Paco, a burro, and Raphael, a young stallion. When a canyon flood claims Raphael's life, Bonita is accepted into a wild herd. There, she gives birth to a foal, Esperanza, who gives the name to the next book in the series. In Esperanza, many of the herd's female horses have survived a harsh winter, but the growing Esperanza yearns for her own life. She and a young stallion, Strider, leave the herd and face the dangers of the wilderness on their own in order to find another, better place to live. School Library Journal reviewer Carol Schene called the "Spirit" series books "light escapist literature" for younger readers, in which the author "includes enough action to keep the pages turning."

The "Unicorn's Secret" series tells the ongoing story of Heart Avamir and the unicorn she rescued as a young girl. In the first book of the series, Moonsilver, Heart and the medieval society in which she lives is introduced and outlined. She knows she was rescued from certain death as a young child by Old Simon, but her life since then has consisted of the hardscrabble struggle to survive. When she discovers an injured white horse wandering in the woods, she turns to the village healer, Rosa, for assistance and advice before discovering that the creature is a unicorn. Booklist reviewer Susan Dove Lempke stated of the book that Duey "has written a beguiling story of love and healing in an easy-to-read style" geared to early readers. In the second book of the series, The Silver Thread, Heart must help the unicorn mother and baby she has befriended escape detection, so she hides them in a cave. When the young unicorn, Moonsilver, is shot with a poisoned arrow, Heart risks exposing them all in order to get help from Rosa, the healer. Duey once again offers "a story with dramatic tension and plenty of endearing touches," Lempke noted in another Booklist review. In a later book in the series, Castle Avamir, Heart continues searching for her lost heritage, defying a law that forbids reading among commoners to peruse a mysterious book stolen from the evil Lord Dunraven. The book mentions a Castle Avamir, which Heart hopes might hold a clue to her background. With her unicorn companion, she sets out to learn the truth about Castle Avamir. There, she is befriended by an odd little man who tells her that the children who once lived in the castle were, in the past, sent away for their own safety. Before she can learn more, Lord Dunraven and his henchmen storm the castle and take the man away as a prisoner. With little regard for her own safety, Heart decides to follow them and help if she can.

Duey's "Hoofbeats" series explores the fascination and strong relationships that girls and young women often have with horses. In Katie and the Mustang Book One, nine-year-old orphan Katie is taken in by the Stevenses, a childless couple. She embarks on a dull life of hard work and drudgery. Her only source of happiness and comfort is her growing connection with a mustang owned by the family. Mr. Stevens treats the animal poorly, but it slowly learns to trust people again due to Katie's kindness. Katie holds out hope for an improved life when the family decides to head west along the Oregon Trail, but her optimism is dashed when she learns that Mr. Stevens plans to put her back in an orphanage and shoot the horse she loves. Defiant and desperate, Katie takes the horse and, together with Hiram, the hired hand, heads west to find the new life no one else can give her. In response to the book, Booklist reviewer Kay Weissman observed that "Duey's strengths lie in attention to setting details and effective characterizations." Lara and the Gray Mare moves the "Hoofbeats" setting to medieval Ireland, where Lara and her family struggle against hardship, the elements, and the constant threat of raids and violence by other clans. When a mare dies while giving birth to a foal, Lara determines that she will save and nurture the young filly, even at peril to herself. Carolyn Phelan, writing in Booklist, called the book "excellent fare for historical fiction fans and, of course, for girls devoted to horse stories."

The "Time Soldiers" series, School Library Journal reviewer Tim Wadham explained, was "designed to draw video-saturated youngsters into reading through cinematic artwork." The picture books, illustrated with larger-than-life photographs and lavish art and special effects, concern a group of children called upon to perform important tasks for the good of society at various critical points throughout time. In the series book Arthur, the children are transported back to the time of King Arthur and his knights. There, they meet a young Arthur, accompany him through several adventures, and watch as he draws the fabled sword from the stone, securing his kingship and enduring legend. Margaret Lane, writing in Reviewer's Bookwatch, called Arthur a "truly fantastic picturebook."

Duey told CA: "I began writing because of two extraordinary teachers: Mrs. Elsie Frederiksen, my 4th, 5th, and 6th grade teacher in a three room schoolhouse, and Mr. William Doohan, freshman English. I know first hand that teachers and librarians change and save lives."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 15, 1996, Karen Hutt, review of Sarah Anne Hartford: Massachusetts, 1651, p. 1585; March 1, 1997, Lauren Peterson, review of Willow Chase: Kansas Territory, 1847, p. 1164; February 1, 1998, Carolyn Phelan, reviews of Blizzard: Estes Park, Colorado, 1886 and Earthquake, p. 917; February 15, 1998, Denia Hester, review of Evie Peach: St. Louis, 1857, p. 1011; January 1, 2002, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Moonsilver, p. 856; March 1, 2002, Susan Dove Lempke, review of The Silver Thread, p. 1136; June 1, 2002, Karen Hutt, review of Sierra, p. 1722; September 1, 2002, Susan Dove Lempke, reviews of Mountains of the Moon and The Silver Bracelet, p. 123; June 1, 2004, Kay Weisman, review of Katie and the Mustang Book One, p. 1725; February 1, 2005, Carolyn Phelan, review of Lara and the Gray Mare, p. 960; July, 2005, Carolyn Phelan, review of Lara at the Silent Place, p. 1924.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May, 1996, Elizabeth Bush, review of Sarah Anne Hartford, pp. 297-298; April, 1998, Elizabeth Bush, review of Earthquake, p. 278.

Publishers Weekly, March 18, 1996, review of Sarah Anne Hartford, p. 70; May 17, 2004, review of Katie and the Mustang Book One, p. 51.

Reviewer's Bookwatch, November, 2004, Margaret Lane, review of Arthur.

School Library Journal, June, 1996, Connie Parker, review of Sarah Anne Hartford, p. 120; December, 1996, Jane Gardner Connor, review of Mary Alice Peale: Philadelphia, 1777, p. 122, and Susan F. Marcus, review of Anisett Lundberg: California, 1851, p. 122; April, 1997, Rebecca O'Connell, review of Willow Chase, p. 137; August, 1997, Sylvia V. Meisner, review of Ellen Elizabeth Hawkins: Mobeetie, Texas, 1886, p. 157; March, 1998, Peggy Morgan, review of Blizzard: Estes Park, Colorado, p. 211, Robin L. Gibson, review of Evie Peach, p. 212, and Mary M. Hopf, review of Earthquake, p. 212; April, 1998, Denise Furgione, review of Alexia Ellery Finsdale: San Francisco, 1905, p. 131; June, 1998, Ann W. Moore, review of Celou Sudden Shout: Idaho, 1826, p. 143; September, 1998, Joan Zaleski, reviews of Shipwreck: The Titanic and Fire: Chicago, 1871, p. 200; December, 1998, Elaine Lesh Morgan, review of Flood: Mississippi, 1927, p. 121, and Janet Gillen, review of Summer MacCleary: Virginia, 1749, pp. 121-122; January, 1999, Coop Renner, review of Agnes May Gleason: Walsenberg, Colorado, 1933, p. 124; September, 1999, Janet Gillen, review of Amelina Carrett: Bayou Grand Coeur, Louisiana, 1863, p. 222; June, 2000, Susan Knell, review of Rosa Moreno: Hollywood, California, 1928, p. 143; October, 2000, Alison Grant, review of Nell Dunne: Ellis Island, 1904, p. 156; April, 2001, Betsy Barnett, review of Francesca Vigilucci: Washington, D.C., 1913, p. 139; October, 2001, Elaine Lesh Morgan, review of Janey G. Blue: Pearl Harbor, 1941, p. 154; December, 2001, Catherine Threadgill, review of Moonsilver, p. 99; April, 2002, Louise L. Sherman, review of Sierra, p. 146; October, 2002, Elaine Ford Weischedel, review of Zellie Blake: Lowell, Massachusetts, 1834, p. 162, and Carol Schene, review of Bonita, p. 162; February, 2004, Elaine E. Knight, review of Castle Avamir, p. 111; October, 2004, Time Wadham, review of Arthur, p. 112.