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They say to remember the Alamo, but many people don't know much about it. That's why Marshalltown-based writer Katie Kennedy has written a book on the topic. "Did You Hear What Happened at the Alamo?" releases September 1 by Workman Kids. Illustrated by Nick Thornborrow, it is aimed at readers ages 8 to 12. It's book two in the series. Last September saw publication of "Did You Hear What Happened in Salem?" which chronicled the Salem Witch Trials of February 1692 to May 1693.
"The assault on the Alamo was one day...So we gave some background so people could understand why the Alamo happened and what happened there, and then took it through the Texas Revolution and the creation of the Republic of Texas," she said.
There are stories that aren't age appropriate for her to have included in the book, and she had to work around that. First-person accounts were challenging to locate. She relied on biographies, history books, resources on the Mexican Army and letters to piece together the events.
"These people weren't terribly literate over-all. They just didn't leave a lot of records so it was a little bit harder to get in some of the human interest stuff in that way," she noted.
The book is told via first-person narration that focuses on the roles of six key players: Stephen F. Austin, William B. Travis, Jim Bowie, Sam Houston, David Crockett and Mexican President General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
Notably, the Bowie knife gets its name from Jim Bowie, who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Crockett, who also perished at the Alamo, became a folk hero (as Davy Crockett). The sides: Texians (Anglo-American immigrants to Mexican Texas) and Mexican forces. Mexico had ended slavery in 1829, but the American settlers continued the practice. Meanwhile, Santa Anna, who served as president of Mexico 11 times, is remembered as a national hero after defeating a Spanish reconquest attempt in 1829. He often changed political sides, however, later proclaiming himself dictator for life and ruled with absolute power before being permanently overthrown in 1855.
The Alamo, the site of the battle, was a Spanish mission church in San Antonio de Béxar (present-day San Antonio). On the morning of March 6, 1836, the 13th day of the siege, the battle took place, lasting approximately 90 minutes. About 180 to 260 Texians and Tejanos were inside the mission and faced the Mexican army -- made up of 1,800 to 3,000 soldiers. The Mexicans lost 600 men in battle, and declared victory after the death of almost every Alamo defender. About 20 defenders, mainly women, children and slaves, survived the assault. The Battle of San Jacinto followed on April 21, 1836 and lasted 18 minutes. Santa Anna surrendered to Houston and agreed to withdraw Mexican troops, securing the independence of the Republic of Texas. Houston would go on to serve as President of the Republic of Texas, twice.
"It was hard deciding where to end the book, just because you could flow so naturally and keep going," Kennedy said.
The book is a Junior Library Guild selection.
"This is three of my books in a row (to be a selection) so I'm kind of feeling the pressure for the next one," she said with a laugh.
While the books are aimed at children, she said she researches the projects heavily.
"They're books for kids who want a little bit more information and don't want a superficial treatment. That's one of the reasons we've gotten some nice feedback from adults...saying it helped them understand (the topic) and it was a fast, easy treatment," she said.
Kennedy said more books are planned in her "Did You Hear What Happened" series, including one slated for release next year on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911, which killed 146 people. Following that book will be "Did You Hear What Happened at Gettysburg?" due out in 2028.
Her previously published books include: "The Declaration Decoded," "The Constitution Decoded" and "The Presidents Decoded." Her debut novel for adults, a hockey romance entitled "Hearts On Thin Ice," came out in June 2024.
Future projects will be middle grade non-fiction books and some fiction works.
Kennedy is an adjunct professor of history at MCC, and a part-time librarian at Marshalltown Public Library. Learn more at: katiekennedybooks.com.