Credentials

Kathleen Ernst

Writer, Educator, Social Historian

Education

Master of Arts in History Education and Writing, Antioch University, 1994. Personalized degree plan focused on non-traditional methods of teaching history, with a special emphasis in historical fiction.

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Education, West Virginia University, 1981. Interdisciplinary program with additional emphasis in American History and Creative Writing.

Professional Experience

Volunteer.  Provide support to the writing community.  Currently serving as President of Women Writing the West.  Have also served as a scholarship competition judge for Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators - WI chapter, and as a member of the advisory committee for Mystery Writers of America's  MWA:  Reads! youth literacy program.

Instructor, Mount Mary College, 2005.  Taught Advanced Creative Writing.

Senior Educational Specialist for Social Studies, Instructional Programs Development, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, 1994-2003. Facilitated development and design, wrote scripts, and oversaw production of educational videos and related curriculum materials. Worked closely with students, teachers, historians, cultural experts, and other consultants.  Credits include: co-executive producer and scriptwriter of Cultural Horizons, Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin, Investigating Wisconsin History, and Exploring Wisconsin Our Home series; scriptwriter for New Dawn of Tradition: A Wisconsin Powwow, the first instructional program produced in high-definition television; also authored or co-authored teacher guides for each.

Curator of Education, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Old World Wisconsin Historic Site, 1982-1994. Designed and delivered educational programs for children and families attending large outdoor living-history site. Gained practical first-hand knowledge of social history, crafts, foodways, children's activities, etc.

Instructor, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Continuing Studies, 1998 - present. Teach workshops on historical and juvenile fiction.  Instructor, The Building Blocks of Children's Literature, for the annual Write-By-The-Lake Retreat.

Instructor, Civil War Institute, Carroll College, 1997 - 1999. Taught seminars, Wisconsin Women and the Civil War and Maryland Civilians and the Antietam Campaign.

Instructor, Education Department, Edgewood College, 1994. Taught semester course, "Instructional Methods: Integrating Science, Social Studies, and Environmental Education."

Volunteer Interpreter, Civil War Programming, 1986-present. Provide living-history presentations, portraying a variety of 19th-century women, at historic sites and battlefields throughout the middle and eastern United States.

Speaker/Educator

Have frequently provided talks, workshops, or classroom visits. Sites/hosts have included the Johns Hopkins University, Conference on Women in the Civil War, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, the Association for State and Local History, the Association of Living History Farms and Agricultural Museums, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, various Civil War Round Tables, Midwest Open-Air Museums Coordinating Council, McCauley Distinguished Lecture Series at Washington County Free Library, Historical Novel Society Conference, and numerous elementary and middle schools.

Writing Experience

The Runaway Friend, A Kirsten Mystery from American Girl, 2008.

Midnight in Lonesome Hollow, A Kit Mystery from American Girl, 2007.  "Older American Girl and mystery fans will enjoy learning more about (one of) their favorite characters."  (School Library Journal)

Hearts of Stone, Dutton Books for Young Readers,  2006.  "Memorable.... Readers will be hooked from the start."  (Kirkus Reviews)

Highland Fling, Cricket Books, 2006.  "Perceptive and witty. You don't have to be Scottish to understand and enjoy this book."   (Chicago Tribune)

Secrets in the Hills, a Josefina Mystery from American Girl, 2006.  "(Josefina's) character is compelling and her story is earnest, interesting, and extremely enjoyable." (Children's Literature) 

Danger at the Zoo, a Kit Mystery from American Girl, 2005.  "Those who love 'American Girl' will be clamoring for this book."  (School Library Journal)

Betrayal at Cross Creek, Pleasant Company Publications, 2004.  Historical mystery for young readers.  "...A grand read, and an important addition for this age group about the Revolutionary War."  (Kirkus Reviews)

Ghosts of Vicksburg, White Mane Publishing, 2003.  "...Transports readers into a heartbreaking part of this country's history.  The characters are well drawn and realistic." (School Library Journal).

Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin and Cultural Horizons, project director and scriptwriter, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board/Wisconsin Public Television, 2002-2003. Two ten-part series about cultural diversity, one Wisconsin-specific and one covering North America, designed for fourth through sixth grade students. Also co-authored the accompanying Teacher Guide.

Whistler in the Dark, Pleasant Company Publications, 2002.  "...Combines mystery and adventure with a look at the Colorado gold mining days, frontier newspaper publishing, and women's struggle to gain acceptance as serious participants in what was seen as a 'man's world.'" (Young Saint Louis).

Trouble at Fort La Pointe, Pleasant Company Publications, 2000.  "The tension and value of being of mixed blood are portrayed throughout...the story moves well and reveals much about the life of French and Indian traders and the culture in this region."  (Children's Literature).

Retreat from Gettysburg, White Mane Publishing, 2000.  "Excellent…the choice of an Irish family near Williamsport at the tail end of the Gettysburg Campaign offers a refreshingly different perspective of the war and its impact upon common people." (D. Scott Hartwig, Historian, Gettysburg, PA).

Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign, Stackpole Books, 1999. (Non-fiction.)  "...Lifts the veil on an untold story of the Maryland campaign of 1862.  Readers will not likely think of the effects of the Civil War on civilians the same way again." (David J. Eicher, author of The Civil War in Books and Robert E. Lee: A Life Portrait).

New Dawn of Tradition: A Wisconsin Powwow, scriptwriter, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board/Wisconsin Public Television, 1998. A single program highlighting a cultural and social event significant to many Native American nations; first instructional program written for high-definition television (HDTV) production.

Investigating Wisconsin History, project director and scriptwriter, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board/Wisconsin Public Television, 1998. A twelve-part series about Wisconsin's history designed for fourth grade students. Also co-authored the accompanying Teacher Guide.

The Bravest Girl in Sharpsburg, White Mane Publishing, 1997.  "...a lovely, poignant story." (School Library Journal, September).

The Night Riders of Harpers Ferry, White Mane Publishing, 1996. "Instructive and entertaining at the same time…a surefire hit for historical fiction fans." (School Library Journal).

Exploring Wisconsin Our Home, co-scriptwriter, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board/Wisconsin Public Television, 1995. A fourteen-part series about Wisconsin's cultural geography designed for fourth grade students. Also authored the accompanying Teacher Guide.

Other writing credits include articles, essays, or poems published in Appalachian Heritage, Cobblestone, America's Civil War, Civil War Times Illustrated, Columbiad, Wilderness, Boundary Waters Journal, Wisconsin Trails, Quilters' Newsletter Magazine, and other publications.

Awards & Honors

Hearts of Stone

- Editors' Choice Selection, Historical Novels Review, February, 2007.

- "Books for the Teen Age" List, New York Public Library, 2007.

- Arthur Tofte/Betty Ren Wright Children's Literature Award, Council for Wisconsin Writers, 2007.

- Children's Literature Award, Society of Midland Authors, 2007.

Secrets in the Hills

- National Summer Reading Program Prize Selection, Barnes & Noble, 2006.

Danger at the Zoo

- Agatha Award Nomination for Best Children's/Young Adult Mystery, Malice Domestic, 2006.

Betrayal at Cross Creek

 - Flora MacDonald Award, Scottish Heritage Center, St. Andrews Presbyterian College, "given to a woman of Scottish

   descent who has made an outstanding contribution to the human community," 2006.

-  Arthur Tofte Juvenile Fiction Book Award, Council for Wisconsin Writers, 2005.

 - Best Historical Fiction Novel Nomination, Disney Adventures magazinem 2005.

 - Agatha Award Nomination for Best Children's/Young Adult Mystery, Malice Domestic, 2005.

 - "Children's Book Sense Picks" List, Summer, American Book Sellers Association, 2005.

 - Brodart's "Young Adult GEMS" List, Spring, 2004.

Whistler in the Dark

 - Volunteer State Book Award Nomination, Tennessee Library Association/Tennessee Association of School

     Librarians, 2004-2005 .

 - Agatha Award Nomination for Best Children's/Young Adult Mystery, Malice Domestic, 2003.

 - WILLA Literary Award Finalist, for Children's/Young Adult Book, Women Writing The West, 2003.

Cultural Horizons

 - Aurora Award - Platinum Best of Show,  Instructional Programming/Social Studies, Aurora International Independent

     Film and Video Competition, 2004.

 - "Certificate for Creative Excellence," Instructional Programming, US International Film and Video Festival, 2004.

 - Parents' Choice Recommended Seal,  Parents' Choice Foundation, 2004.

 - Judge's Award for Instructional Innovation, "for far exceeding the expectations of the category," National

     Educational Telecommunications Association, 2004.

 - Wilbur Schramm Award of Excellence, presented to honor the best educational television program produced for use

     in K-12 classrooms in the United States, National Educational Telecommunications Association, 2003.

Ghosts of Vicksburg

 - Arthur Tofte Juvenile Fiction Book Award, Council for Wisconsin Writers, 2004.

Cultural Horizons of Wisconsin

 - Aurora Award - Gold, presented for excellence in Instructional Programming/Social Studies, Aurora Independent Film

     and Video Competition, 2003.

 - "Excellence in Multicultural and Global Programming" Citation, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2003.

 - Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for Children's Programming -- Children's Series, Midwest Chapter,

     National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, 2003.

Trouble At Fort La Pointe

 - Edgar Allan Poe Award Nomination, for Best Children's Mystery Book, Mystery Writers of America, 2001.

 - "Celebrating Diversity: Great Reads Featuring Multicultural Families" List by Adoptive Families Magazine, 2004.

Retreat From Gettysburg

 - Arthur Tofte Juvenile Fiction Book Award, Council for Wisconsin Writers, 2001.

Investigating Wisconsin History

 - Crystal Award, presented for most innovative and outstanding project in K-12 video-based instruction by the

     Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 2000.

Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign

 - History Book Club Alternate Selection, 1999.

New Dawn of Tradition: A Wisconsin Powwow

 - Second Place Award, Instructional Communications/Alternate Technology, National Educational Telecommunications

     Association, 1999.

Investigating Wisconsin History

- Honorable Mention Award, Instructional Communications/Educational Resources, National Educational

     Telecommunications Association, 1999.

The Night Riders of Harpers Ferry

- "Books for the Teen Age" List, New York Public Library, 1998.

Exploring Wisconsin Our Home

- Award of Excellence, Central Education Network, 1996.

 - Finalist, Wilbur Schramm Award of Excellence, National Educational Telecommunications Association,1996.

Contact Information

To contact Ms. Ernst, please call 1-608-836-9218 Central US time zone (GMT -5) or email her at k.ernst at distaff.net (use normal email formatting)