Ann’s Comments (group member since Aug 05, 2013)

Ann’s comments from the Ask Ann Kimbrough group.

R.J. wrote: "I read this book and it was wonderful. Great job at bringing a modern voice to a fantastic story."

Thanks, RJ!!!

Cisco wrote: "...I also meant before this to mention that your charact..."
Thanks!

Rant on! I love it. What a great trip and shocking -- but I guess not really when you come to think of it -- that history has been covered up. Makes you wonder how much is true of what we think we know. What's that old saying that the winner gets to write the history books?

Thanks, Lee, for championing Max Mooney!!! I'm so pleased to hear that you'll get him into your friend's classroom! And what a great list of books to dive into for historical fiction! Were you a teacher? Ha! I'm putting them all on my to read list, as I'm certainly behind in researching the genre. Altho, I have read "Windfork Secrets" and thoroughly enjoyed it!!! I'm glad you mentioned it and I hope everyone checks it out!

I agree, Cisco. I'm drawn to facts and POV's that I haven't read before. I'm also amazed when I discover different historians' opinions about the facts. In researching Volume 2 in my Max Mooney series, which features Max working with detective Allan Pinkerton, I've found a pro-Pinkerton version of some historical facts & a con side, as well. Since Pinkerton is a positive character in the series, I am pro-Pinkerton, but have decided to include some of the anti-Pinkerton sentiment, to be fair to the climate of the 1860's. I've done the same with Lincoln's politics, as I wanted readers to see that Lincoln we think of today was not thought of the same in his day.

I’m a fan of book series like “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “My Weird School”. They teach kids to love reading with storylines that are fun, silly and totally in a kid’s frame of reference. Those books taught my reluctant 8-year-old to like reading. When I began to create "Max Mooney & Lincoln's Hand", my goal was to deliver that same kind of entertainment – a book kids will love, a story where the main character is like them – and add a pinch of history. Just enough to give them a taste of history and want more. That’s why Max Mooney is a twelve-year-old boy in the 1860’s with a contemporary voice. He acts and thinks very much like a kid would in 2013. How do you feel about the combination of a historical story with a contemporary voice?