Sarah Emma Edmonds started pretending at a very early age. Her father only wanted sons, so Sarah pretended to be one. Unlike most kids, though, Sarah never really stopped pretending. In 1861, during the U.S. Civil War, Sarah pretended her way into the Union Army, becoming a male nurse named Frank Thompson. Being a nurse didn't quite satisfy Frank, though. She wanted to keep her fellow soldiers from getting hurt. So when the Union Army needed a spy, she leapt at the chance. While still pretending to be Frank, Sarah also pretended to be a male African American slave, a female Irish peddler, and a female African American laundress. She slipped behind enemy lines time after time, spied on the Confederate Army, and brought back valuable intelligence to the Union. Sarah was not only good at pretending; she was also very brave. Later in life, Sarah Emma Edmonds wrote a book to tell her story. She explained, I am naturally fond of adventure, a little ambitious, and a good deal romantic. She was also truly a great pretender.

Author Biography

Carrie Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of the NEED series and spends her time in Maine where she lives with her family, which includes a kitten named Sparta, an obese cat, and two very silly and very large white dogs. She has won numerous awards for her writing and photographs, but she would prefer to win cowboy hats. Mark Oldroyd lives in the small town of Battle in England. Mark is well known for his atmospheric, detailed illustrative style and his beautiful sense of color and composition.