Margaret Peterson Haddix facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret Peterson Haddix
Born	Margaret Peterson (1964-04-09) April 9, 1964 (age 61) Washington Court House, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Author
Nationality	American
Citizenship	American
Education	Miami University
Genre	Young adult fiction
Subject	Reading
Notable works	The Missing series Shadow Children series
Spouse	Doug Haddix
Children	2

Margaret Peterson Haddix, born on April 9, 1964, is a popular American author. She is famous for her exciting books for young readers. Her most well-known series are Shadow Children and The Missing. She also wrote a book in The 39 Clues series, which many authors contributed to.

About Margaret Peterson Haddix

Margaret's Early Life

Margaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm in Ohio, between two small towns. Her family were mostly farmers, but they loved to read! Margaret was a huge reader too. Some of her favorite books when she was young included Harriet the Spy, Anne of Green Gables, and Little Women. She also enjoyed books by E.L. Konigsburg.

Education and First Jobs

Margaret went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She studied English, Journalism, and History. While in college, she had many different jobs. She worked as an assistant cook at a 4-H camp. Most of her other jobs were related to writing. She worked on her school newspaper and had summer jobs at newspapers in different cities.

Becoming a Writer

Margaret decided to become a fiction writer after her husband, Doug, became a news reporter. She didn't want to work for him! Her experience as a reporter actually helped her. She had written about many different topics. Now, she wanted to create her own stories and characters.

It took a while for Margaret to get her books published. Many publishers said no at first. But then, in 1995 and 1996, her first two books were accepted! Her very first book was Running Out of Time. Her second book, Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey, came out soon after. Her most recent stand-alone book, The School for Whatnots, was published in 2022.

Margaret's Books and Awards

Margaret Haddix has written over 40 books for kids and teenagers. Some of her popular titles include Running Out of Time, Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey, Leaving Fishers, Just Ella, and Uprising. She is especially known for her Shadow Children series and The Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, which is book 10 in The 39 Clues series.

Many of her books have been on the New York Times Best Seller lists. They have also won awards from the American Library Association (ALA). She has won the International Reading Association's Children's Book Award and many state reader's choice awards.

Margaret currently lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, Doug. They have two grown children, Meredith and Connor.

Awards and Recognition

Margaret Peterson Haddix has won many awards for her books. Here are some of them: