Pinellas Educator With Passion For Past Pens Adult History Book

CLEARWATER, FL — Pinellas County's 2004’s Outstanding Educator of the Year Alan N. Kay has returned to the public eye with a mission to make history more interesting, fun and relevant for adults.

Having won awards at every level from local to state to national for his teaching, his writing and his community service, the East Lake High School history teacher has now turned his attention to a new group of students: adults.

His new book, Neither King Nor Country, is now available both online and in print on major platforms including Amazon and Nook.

In addition, the Clearwater resident has started a blog dealing with current events as well as historical events, a Facebook page called The History Cart and is scheduling free public presentations at libraries and local history museums.

“This was truly a fun and engaging read," said Dr. Sheila Skemp, professor emeritus of early American history of the University of Mississippi, of Kay's new book. "Informative as well as entertaining, the author has provided readers with a deeply researched depiction of everything from Canadian manners and mores to ice hockey to the American Revolution.”

“This story just kept appearing in my life like some kind of a vision or a ghost," said Kay. "No matter what I read or where I went, more and more of it kept appearing in my life: at home, in the classroom and on the road. It needed to be told and there was no way I could stop it. It was the greatest secret I had ever uncovered and the greatest story never told. I knew I had to share it.”

He admits that he's crazy about history and wants to share that passion for the past with both children and adults.

"My entire life has been dedicated to making history fun for adult and child alike. It started personally as a child fascinated with George Washington, the Revolution and growing up only an hour from Boston's Freedom Trail," he said. "As an adult I eventually became an award-winning teacher and author with more than 25 years of experience bringing stories to life."

He began his writing career with a historical fiction series for children called Young Heroes of History that includes Send 'Em South, Crossroads of Gettysburg, Breaking the Rules, Nowhere to Turn, On the Trail of John Brown's Body, Off to Fight and No Girls Allowed.

The father of three now-grown children also wrote a non-fiction book titled I Love History but I Hated it in School.

His honors include:

• 2002 Daughters of the American Revolution Nationwide Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year
• Florida 2002 Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year
• Gilder Lehrman 2006 American History Teacher for the state of Florida.
• 2004 Outstanding Educator of the Year in Pinellas County (while teaching social studies at East Lake High School)
• 2001 Florida History Fair Teacher of the Year
• Finalist for the 2001 National History Day Teacher of the Year

Most recently, he was presented the lifetime achievement award on the 20th anniversary of Pinellas County History Day, a competition he started in 1999.

Kay received his bachelor's degree cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts and his master's in education from the University of Massachusetts in Boston.