Thank you for visiting! If you’ve already read Kingdom of Secrets, you know that it’s full of… well, secrets. But you may not know that there’s so much to explore beyond the pages of the book. Check out the links and information below to learn even more about Prissy, Abi, Oren, hot-air balloons, and much, much more.
Downloads
The perfect conversation starter for teachers, librarians, book clubs, and other groups who want to dig deeper into the themes of Kingdom of Secrets. Warning: contains spoilers!
Meet Matt and Sara Robison, the owners of Straight Up Ballooning in Fort Worth, Texas. They share what it takes to become a balloonist, the biggest misconceptions about what they do, and the funniest thing that’s ever happened to them while hot-air ballooning.
From the Palace to Between, from Mulberry House to Kluwer House, follow the journey of Prissy and Abi through the Kingdom of Oren with this downloadable map.
Kingdom of Secrets Trailer
Activities
If you’re like Prissy, you probably want to follow up your reading of Kingdom of Secrets by designing or building something! If so, try one of these KoS-themed activities:
A Dress Fit for a Queen: In a twist on the old “egg-drop” project, design a Savior’s Day dress for Queen Catherine by combining Prissy’s engineering skills with Abi’s flair for fashion. You can sketch it out on paper or make a replica of the real thing.
Rubber Band Flying Machine: Check out this link, courtesy of robotics teacher Michelle Mohrweis, for instructions on how to make the rubber band plane that Prissy builds in Chapter 1. And try this great printable version from the StemAZing Project.
Full of Hot Air: The first hot-air balloons operated on a simple principle: hot air rises. Experiment with that concept by launching your own paper lanterns or using heat to inflate a balloon. Here’s a really great resource, complete with instructional videos: Make a Hot Air Balloon. Remember that adult supervision and safety measures are critical for this project!
Mini-Catapult: Construct a catapult to fling the Rebellion’s secret messages over the Wall. Here’s a great step-by-step tutorial, complete with template: How to Make a Catapult out of Cardboard.
Mythbust This Book!: The contraptions and inventions in Kingdom of Secrets are exciting, but could they exist in real life? Put them to the test!
Fun Facts & Further Research
The modern hot-air balloon was invented by Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, French brothers and paper manufacturers. (Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier | French aviators | Britannica)
The first hot-air balloon exhibition carrying living creatures occurred in 1783 at the Palace of Versailles, for an audience of thousands – including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The first passengers were a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. The flight lasted eight minutes and travelled about two miles. The animals were unharmed. (A Rooster, a Duck, and a Sheep Walk Into a Hot Air Balloon | Atlas Obscura)
After the invention of the hot-air balloon, “balloon-mania” swept through Europe and England. In 1784, two years after the Montgolfier brothers invented the hot-air balloon, 19-year-old Elisabeth Thible was the first woman to go on an untethered balloon flight. She was the first of many women who took to the skies in hot-air balloons, some of whom met tragic ends. (The Women Who Rose High in the Early Days of Hot Air Ballooning | Atlas Obscura)
Hot-air balloons have a long history of being used in warfare. They’ve been used as signaling devices, for reconnaissance missions, and as makeshift explosives. (History of Military Ballooning | Wikipedia)
During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln created the Union Army Balloon Corps, led by balloonist Thaddeus Lowe. The Balloon Corps provided aerial surveillance of Confederate troops for the Union Army. (Balloon Corps | United States History | Britannica)
Hot-air balloons have long captured the imagination in books and movies. But is their depiction in popular culture accurate? This article in The Atlantic examines hot-air balloons in literature versus real life: Hot-Air Balloons Are Useless | The Atlantic.
Hot-air balloons aren’t the only cutting-edge technology that appear in Kingdom of Secrets. Elastic, which appears in Prissy’s hidden collection, was invented around 1820 by British inventor Thomas Hancock. Its first use in clothing was for gloves, suspenders, shoes, and stockings. (Thomas Hancock Profile: Inventor of Elastic)
In the early 1800s, voluminous skirts were popular among Victorian women. At first, they were shaped with multiple layers of crinoline – stiff fabric lined in horsehair. Not only were these skirts heavy, but they tangled as women walked. To remedy this issue, the hoop skirt was created. Originally, the hoops were made of cane and whale bones, but these delicate materials broke easily. Designers started manufacturing hoop skirts out of flattened steel wire instead. (The Complex History of Hoop Skirts | WardrobeShop Fashion Blog)