Born in Detroit Michigan, author, editor, and teacher Patricia Lee Gauch celebrates her birthday on January 3rd. She graduated from Miami University (in Ohio), Manhattanville College, and Drew University. She married her husband, Ron, in 1955. Ms. Gauch worked as a reporter before her three children were born. While she was raising her kids, she attended one of Jean Fritz's writing workshops and she was hooked. In fact, two of her early books were begun in those workshops: Grandpa and Me and Christina Katerina & the Box. In 1985, she became editor-in-chief of Philomel Books, a position from which she recently retired, preferring to be an editor-at-large. Her many accomplishments include teaching children's literature at Rutgers and Drew, and writing book reviews for The New York Times.