About the Author Patricia MacLachlan
Patricia MacLachlan is an award winning American children’s author. She was born Patricia Pritzkau on March 3, 1938, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She moved east to attend college at the University of Connecticut, graduating in 1962, and began her career as a junior high English teacher. She married Robert MacLachlan in 1962 and they have two children. She currently resides in Massachussetts with her husband and several pets.
Her first book was published in 1979 followed by 2 more the next year including Arthur for the Very First Time, for which she won the Golden Kite Award. Her most famous book, Sarah, Plain and Tall, was the winner of the 1986 Newbery Medal, awarded for “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children” and the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. This book became part of a series as she wrote 4 more books about the Witting family, two of which were made into movies for television.
MacLachlan’s books are mostly realistic fiction with the plots revolving around families. She has said that as an only child she often wished for brothers or sisters so she has enjoyed creating them in her stories. Animals are very often main characters or play key roles in her stories, too. Many of her stories have been inspired by her experiences working with children and their dealings with working through hard times or unconventional situations. Her work has been, and continues to be, on many state award lists. She has collaborated with her daughter on several books, has held many writing workshops, served as a visiting lecturer, and was awarded a National Humanities Medal in 2002.