As cousins take up arms against one another and America's bloodiest war unfolds, young Sam Shaw grows to realize that choosing sides in the conflict is far more complicated than he had thought. Connell details significant battles and profiles key historical figures as she conveys the heart-wrenching turbulence of a family and nation divides.

Hoping for Rain

by Kate Connell

Published 1 September 2004
Like many farmers living in the Great Plains during the 1930s, the Bucklers are ravaged by months of dust storms and drought. Out of desperation, they travel West with their children, Patty and Earl, in hopes of finding new prosperity. Through letters and diary entries written by the Buckler children, readers witness the disaster of the Dust Bowl and the countless days spent wishing for an end to the drought - and their hunger. As they travel across the country, young Earl searches for work so he can help provide for the family. using the children's first-person accounts as well as period illustrations and photographs, the book accurately depicts the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s and '40s.

Servant to Abigail Adams

by Kate Connell

Published 1 September 2003
Illustrated text, letters, and diary excerpts follow a fictional teenage servant as she accompanies First Lady Abigail Adams to the Executive Mansion in Philadephia and later to the new presidential residence in Washington, D.C., where they witness the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800.