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Order the Reading Rockets Launching Launching Young Readers PBS Series

Reading Rockets offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in working with struggling readers who require additional help in reading fundamentals and comprehension skills development.
 

An interview with

Patricia MacLachlan

Patricia MacLachlan

Patricia MacLachlan is the Newbery Award winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall. In this exclusive audio interview with Reading Rockets, Patricia MacLachlan reveals the challenges of writing, the rewards of reading, and the joys of a literacy-rich childhood.

Click on the links below§ to listen to this interview online, or read the interview transcript. You can also read a short biographyof Patricia Maclachlan or see a selected list of her children’s books.

Listen online

  • Peter Rabbit in the house (:35)

    As a young girl, Patricia MacLachlan and her father used to act out their favorite stories. He believed that you could find out who you were in a book, and that's why you read.

  • Solitaire and CNN (1:00)

    Learn more about the surprising writing habits of this Newbery award-winning author.

  • The reading link (:40)

    When this author gets stuck in her writing, she finds it helpful to pull out a classic like Charlotte's Web for inspiration.

  • Miraculous feedback (1:00)

    Patricia MacLachlan explains why contact with children who have read her books fuels her writing and makes her want to write more.

  • Books and messages (:30)

    Patricia MacLachlan explains how literature can be inspirational without being preachy. She writes for the same reason that she reads books – to find out what's going to happen.

Biography

For Patricia MacLachlan, a "sense of place" is important both in her books and in her life. MacLachlan grew up on the Wyoming prairie, but she still remembers the sad day when her family moved away. Before leaving, MacLachlan scooped up a small bag of prairie dirt – a physical reminder that she still carries with her to this day. As an author, MacLachlan has kept her native land alive through the award-winning novels, Sarah, Plain and Tall, Skylark, andCaleb's Story. Patricia MacLachlan is the author of picture books, novels, and screenplays for television movies.

Her life

Patricia MacLachlan grew up on the Wyoming prairie. Thanks to her parents, her childhood was filled with books. Patricia and her father used to act out their favorite stories, talk about the characters, and sometimes change the endings. As a young girl, she also loved to read books and write fictional entries in her diary.

MacLachlan went on to graduate from the University of Connecticut, marry, and have three children of her own. Family became the main focus of her life. MacLachlan didn't start writing seriously until age 35, once all of her children were in school. Not surprisingly, children and family dynamics became central themes in many of her books.

In 1986, Patricia MacLachlan's short novel Sarah, Plain and Tall won the prestigious Newbery Medal. Since then, MacLachlan has written many more favorites, including Skylark, Through Grandpa's Eyes, and Journey. MacLachlan has also written three screenplays for television movies based on her novels. Most recently, she has co-authored picture books with her grown daughter, Emily.

Patricia MacLachlan and her husband live in western Massachusetts.

§ To play this clip, you'll need a copy of the free RealOne Player. Most computers already have it installed, or you can download it now.

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