1. Patricia Polacco By Alicia Fallaw & Jamie Martin

2. Biographical Information Born July 11, 1944 in Lansing Michigan and spent her early childhood on her grandparent’s farm. Her mother was Russian and her father was Irish. She wrote The Keeping Quilt that tells how her mother’s family came to America. Both sets of grandparents were captivating storytellers.

4. She is a dyslexic, disnumeric, & disgraphic. Yet, she still managed to overcome her weaknesses and earn a Ph.D. in art history. She didn’t begin writing and illustrating children’s books until she was 41 years old. Before that she spent her time as a wife and mother.

5. Patricia’s mother was a classroom teacher for 38 years. Patricia deems her mother as her inspiration as well as her hero. All of Patricia’s books begin as a thought that boils in her head as she rocks in her rocking chair and lets her imagination soar. She takes rocking so seriously that she has one or two rockers in every room in her house. Patricia states that drawing makes her “heart sing”. As far back as she can remember, she knew that drawing connected her somehow to the universe and maybe even to God.

6. Classroom Keeping Quilt After a Patricia Polacco author study students are given a choice of their favorite Polacco book. They then write a short summary of the story and illustrate it. Summaries are backed on colorful paper and put together as a keeping quilt.

7. My Grandma’s Thundercake Cream together, one at a time1 cup cold water 1 cup shortening1/3 cup pureed tomatoes 1 ¾ cup sugarSift together 1 teaspoon vanilla2 ½ cups cake flour 3 eggs, separated½ cup dry cocoa (blend yolks in. Beat whites1 ½ teaspoons baking soda until they are stiff, then fold in).1 teaspoon salt Mix dry mixture into creamy mixture. Bake in two greased and floured 8 ½ inch round pans at 350 degrees for 35- 40 minutes. Frost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with strawberries.

8. Awards & Recognition 1988 Sydney Taylor Book Award 1989 International Reading Association Award 1990 Santa Clara Reading Council 1992 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Award for Illustration 1992 Boston Area Educators for Social Responsibility Children’s Literature and Social Responsibility Award 1993 Jane Adams Peace Asoc. and Women’s Intl. League for Peace and Freedom (Katz and Tush)

9. Parent’s Choice Honors Association Children’s Book Award 1996 Jo Osborne Award 1997 Missouri Association of School Librarians 1997 West Virginia Children’s Book Award 1998 Mid -South Independent Booksellers for Children Humpty Dumpty Award