Ann M. Martin

I was born on August 12, 1955, in Princeton, New Jersey.

I'm not married and I don't have any children, but I'm a doting aunt to my nephew, Henry. I also have several godchildren.

I have a sister who is two years younger than I am (but several inches taller!).

I attended the public schools in Princeton, New Jersey, through high school and then graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, with a double major in education and psychology.

Yes, my real name is Ann Matthews Martin. Matthews is my mother's maiden name.

My best friend was Beth McKeever. I based the character of Kristy on her. We're still very good friends.

I have one dog, Sadie, and three cats, Gussie, Woody, and Willy.

I live in the Hudson Valley region in upstate New York.

My first book was published in 1983 when I was 27 years old.

I always enjoyed writing, but never considered it seriously until after college.

There is some biographic information on this website you can check out. You may want to try to find a copy of my biography, Ann M. Martin, by Margo Becker R. Also, you might look for one of the collections of interviews with authors. An example is Author Talk, by Leonard Marcus. Your school librarian may be able to help you locate this type of book.

When I was eleven, I fell off the ladder to our tree house. The same thing happened to Karen in LS #81, Karen's Accident.

My hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. I love to make clothes for children.

I'm not really sure why I don't enjoy cooking, because I like to eat! Growing up, I enjoyed sewing projects and reading more than experimenting in the kitchen. It's pretty much the same for me today.

I remember being puzzled as to why the phone was sometimes off the hook in my office. Then one day, I came upon my cat, Mouse (who died several years ago), happily traipsing across the desk and sending the receiver flying. Mystery solved!

Many authors make school visits, but my writing schedule only permits me to make a few visits each year. If you are interested in having an author come to your school, please ask your teacher to contact Stephanie Nooney at Scholastic Inc. at 212-343-6100.

I'd be happy to send you a picture. You can write to me at:
Ann Martin
c/o Scholastic Inc.
555 Broadway
New York, NY 10012-3999.

You're right; I'm a huge I Love Lucy fan. My favorite episode is called "The Operetta." Everyone is extremely funny in this episode, but it's actually Ethel who makes me laugh the most.

When I was younger, some of my favorite authors were Lewis Carroll, P.L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. Now I like to read new fiction, non-fiction, and mysteries. (I love to be scared!)