Kate Hannigan

The incredible tale of America's first ever female detective and her spirited niece! Eleven-year-old Nell Warne arrives on her aunt's doorstep lugging a heavy sack of sorrows. If her Aunt Kate rejects her, it's the miserable Home for the Friendless. Luckily, canny Nell makes herself indispensable to Aunt Kate...and not just by helping out with household chores. For Aunt Kate is the first-ever female detective employed by the legendary Pinkerton Detective Agency. And Nell has a knack for the kind of close listening and bold action that made Pinkerton detectives famous in Civil War-era America. With huge, nation-changing events simmering in the background, Nell uses skills new and old to uncover truths about her past and solve mysteries in the present. Based on the extraordinary true story of Kate Warne, this fast-paced adventure recounts feats of daring and danger...including saving the life of Abraham Lincoln!

The Detective's Assistant

“Readers…will be enamored by this blend of history, mystery, and superpowered action.” —Booklist (starred review) “Has the exciting pace of a superhero adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews Hidden Figures meets Wonder Woman in this action-packed, comic-inspired adventure about a brilliant girl puzzler who discovers she’s part of a superhero team—the first in a new series! Josie O’Malley does a lot to help out Mam after her father goes off to fight the Nazis, but she wishes she could do more—like all those caped heroes who now seem to have disappeared. If Josie can’t fly and control weather like her idol, Zenobia, maybe she can put her math smarts to use cracking puzzles for the government. After an official tosses out her puzzler test because she’s a girl, it soon becomes clear that an even more top-secret agency has its eye on Josie, along with two other applicants: Akiko and Mae. The trio bonds over their shared love of female superhero celebrities, from Hauntima to Zenobia to Hopscotch. But during one extraordinary afternoon, they find themselves transformed into the newest (and youngest!) superheroes in town. As the girls’ abilities slowly begin to emerge, they learn that their skills will be crucial in thwarting a shapeshifting henchman of Hitler, and, just maybe, in solving an even larger mystery about the superheroes who’ve recently gone missing. Inspired by remarkable real-life women from World War II—the human computers and earliest programmers called “the ENIAC Six”—this pulse-pounding adventure features bold action and brave thinking, with forty-eight pages of comic book style graphic panels throughout the book. Readers will want to don their own capes for an adventure, and realize they have the power to be a superhero, too!

Cape

During a family vacation at Lake Michigan, nine-year-old cousins Willow and Delia, desperate to avoid being flower girls in their aunt's wedding, try to demonstrate that they would do better as chefs for the reception.

Cupcake cousins

Written in the same vein as the recent best-selling titles I DISSENT and SHE PERSISTED, here is a nonfiction picture book biography of Belva Lockwood, a lawyer, activist and presidential candidate who devoted her life to overcoming obstacles and demanding equality for women. Activist Belva Lockwood never stopped asking herself the question Are women not worth the same as men? She had big dreams and didn't let anyone stand in her way--not her father, her law school, or even the U.S. Supreme Court. She fought for equality for women in the classroom, in the courtroom, and in politics. In her quest for fairness and parity, Lockwood ran for President of the United States, becoming the first woman on the ballot. In this riveting nonfiction picture book biography, award-winning author Kate Hannigan and celebrated artist Alison Jay illuminate the life of Lockwood, a woman who was never afraid to take the floor and speak her mind.

Belva Lockwood Speaks Out for Women's Rights

A Lady Has the Floor

Sarah Green

Josephine Cochrane's Bright Invention Makes a Splash

Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine

Brooke Boynton Hughes

Winter Wonders

Summer Showers

Rebecca Gibbon

Two Daredevil Journalists' Breakneck Race Around the World

Nellie vs. Elizabeth

Celebrate the inventor of the dishwasher in this inspiring STEM/STEAM picture book biography about Josephine Garis Cochrane, the brains behind one of the world's most-used kitchen appliances. Many Americans have a dishwasher in their kitchen. But who invented it? Meet Josephine Garis Cochrane: entrepreneur, innovator, girlboss. Washing dishes is a pain—it leaves Josephine's cups cracked, her dishes dinged, and her chowder bowls chipped. She’d rather be picking flowers, frosting cakes, or playing piano than dealing with cracked crockery. What to do about a chore that’s icky, destructive, and time-consuming? Josephine tackles this task the modern way: she makes a machine to do it for her! She tinkers and tests, and perseveres through fizzles and flops—until she has a government patent for her invention, and there are whirring, whizzing, bubbling dishwashers making a splash across America. This charming tale includes an author’s note, a list of notable women inventors, a timeline of fascinating inventions, and a list of sources.

"In History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire, writer Kate Hannigan and illustrator Alex Graudins tell the true story of how a city rose up from one of the worst catastrophes in American history, and how this disaster forever changed how homes, buildings, and communities are constructed. A deadly blaze engulfs Chicago for two terrifying days! A brother, a sister, and a helpless puppy must race through the city to stay one step ahead of the devilish inferno. But can they reunite with their lost family before it's too late?"--Provided by publisher

Rising from the Ashes. The great Chicago fire

History Comics

Wonder Woman meets Hidden Figures in this action-packed adventure trilogy about a trio of young superheroes fighting for justice during World War II! In the midst of World War II, Josie, Akiko, and Mae are chosen by a top-secret agency to help crack puzzles for the government. The trio bonds over their shared love of female superhero celebrities, from Hauntima to Zenobia to Hopscotch. But during one extraordinary afternoon, they find themselves transformed into the newest (and youngest!) superheroes in town. As the girls’ abilities slowly begin to emerge, they learn that their skills will be crucial in thwarting a shapeshifting henchman of Hitler, and, just maybe, in solving an even larger mystery about the superheroes who’ve recently gone missing. Inspired by remarkable real-life women from World War II, this pulse-pounding adventure series features bold action and brave thinking, with forty-eight pages of comic book–style graphic panels throughout each book. This exciting and empowering hardcover boxed set includes: Cape Mask Boots

Cape; Mask; Boots

The League of Secret Heroes Complete Collection

"An excellent example of picture-book biography." --Booklist, starred review For fans of the best-selling titles I DISSENT and SHE PERSISTED, here is a nonfiction picture-book biography of Belva Lockwood, a lawyer, activist and presidential candidate who devoted her life to overcoming obstacles and demanding equality for women. Activist Belva Lockwood had big dreams and didn't let anyone stand in her way--not her father, her law school, or even the US Supreme Court. She fought for equality for women in the classroom, in the courtroom, and in politics. In her quest for fairness and parity, Belva ran for President of the United States, becoming the first woman on the ballot. This riveting nonfiction picture book illuminates the life of a woman who was never afraid to take the floor and speak her mind.

“Pitch-perfect action scenes…A winning blend of comedy, superheroics, inspirational women from history, and puzzle-solving.” —Kirkus Reviews A trio of young superheroes try to thwart a spy in this second book in the action-packed, comics-inspired adventure series that’s Hidden Figures meets Wonder Woman! After defeating The Hisser—and discovering their power as a team—Infinity Trinity is ready for its next adventure. When Akiko, Mae, and Josie learn that a spy has been betraying secrets to the Japanese military, they join Room Twelve in San Francisco for important work with other code-cracking experts. But soon there is personal code to crack: Akiko spots her mom walking with the suspected spy through San Francisco, which had been her family’s home until Executive Order No. 9066 sent Akiko and all Japanese Americans on the West Coast into internment camps. Teaming up with brilliant members of The League of Secret Heroes—like real-life World War II code-crackers Genevieve Grotjan and Elizebeth Friedman—Akiko, Mae, and Josie search for answers as they battle the evil clown Side-Splitter, who’s bent on destroying not only the city, but the Infinity Trinity, too. As clues begin to pile up that her mother has become entangled with Side-Splitter’s sinister plot, can Akiko solve the most important puzzle of all?

Mask

When Mae's Aunt Willa and Aunt Jane, both pilots, are kidnapped by evil Metallic Falcon, Josie, Mae, and Akiko, the Infinity Trinity, pursue them from Chicago to Sweetwater, Texas, to Paris, France.

Boots

In History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire, writer Kate Hannigan and illustrator Alex Graudins tell the true story of how a city rose up from one of the worst catastrophes in American history, and how this disaster forever changed how homes, buildings, and communities are constructed. A deadly blaze engulfs Chicago for two terrifying days! A brother, a sister, and a helpless puppy must race through the city to stay one step ahead of the devilish inferno. But can they reunite with their lost family before it’s too late? With History Comics you can travel back in time to the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, the deserts of the American southwest, the riot at the Stonewall Inn, and beyond! In this new nonfiction graphic novel series from First Second, the past comes alive!

Kate Hannigan

Books

Your next favorite book is out there