Patricia MacLachlan

Patricia Marie MacLachlan ( Pritzkau; March 3, 1938 – March 31, 2022) was an American children's writer. She was noted for her novel Sarah, Plain and Tall, which won the 1986 Newbery Medal.

Early life MacLachlan was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on March 3, 1938. Her father, Philo, was a professor of philosophy of education; her mother, Madonna, was an American English teacher before becoming a homemaker. Her family moved to Rochester, Minnesota, when she was five years old, then relocating to Connecticut after she completed elementary as well as middle school. MacLachlan later studied English at the University of Connecticut, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1962.

Career MacLachlan first worked as an English teacher at Bennett Junior High School in Manchester, Connecticut from 1963 until 1979. She was also employed by a family services agency during this time. The two actors subsequently reprised their roles in the sequel Skylark two years later. Her novels Journey (1991) and Baby (1993) were also adapted for TV in 1995 and 2000, respectively.

MacLachlan ultimately authored over 60 children's books throughout her career. These included Once I Ate a Pie (2006), Fiona Loves the Night (2007), I Didn't Do It (2010), Cat Talk (2013), and Little Robot Alone (2018). She was a board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance, a national not-for-profit that actively advocates for literacy, literature, and libraries.

Personal life MacLachlan married Robert MacLachlan in 1962. They met while she was studying at the University of Connecticut, She resided in western Massachusetts and kept a small bag of dirt from the prairies to call to mind her Wyoming roots. Waiting for Magic (2012) White Fur Flying (2018) Dream Within a Dream (2020) My Life Begins (2022) Snow Horses: A First Night Story (2022)

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