Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare

Born in Lansing, Michigan in 1944, Patricia Polacco lived in Williamston, Michigan, and then moved to her grandparents’ farm in Union City, Michigan. She lived on the farm with her mother and grandparents until 1949. Her parents divorced when she was 3, and she spent the school year with her mother and summers with her father, being the apple of her grandparents’ eyes in both households.

Patricia spent most of her young life in Oakland, California, where she met her best friend, Stewart Grinnell Washington. She struggled with reading and math in elementary school and was later diagnosed with dyslexia at fourteen. With the help of a teacher, she learned to read and eventually earned a degree in Fine Art, followed by a graduate degree and a Ph.D. in Art History. She restored ancient pieces of art for museums and later became the mother of two children, Steven and Traci.

Patricia did not start writing children’s books until she was 41. Coming from a family of storytellers, she drew on her experiences and began putting her stories down on paper with accompanying illustrations.

Born Patricia Ann Barber, to parents of Russian and Ukrainian descent on one side and Irish on the other, Patricia Polacco grew up in both California and Michigan. She describes her family members as marvelous storytellers. Studying in the United States and Australia, Patricia Polacco has earned an M.F.A. and a Ph. D. in art history, specializing in Russian and Greek painting, and iconographic history. She is a museum consultant on the restoration of icons. She is deeply involved in inner-city projects that promote the peaceful resolution of conflict and encourage art and literacy programs.

The mother of a grown son and a daughter, Patricia Polacco currently resides in Michigan, where she has a glorious old farm that was built during the time of Lincoln.

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