Author Patricia Hermes was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1936. She graduated from St. John's University with degrees in speech and English. She taught English and social studies in middle school before taking time off to raise her five children. When she returned to teaching, she was less satisfied with the job and decided to take a class in writing nonfiction for adults. She wrote essays and nonfiction for adults before she starting writing books for children and young adults.

In 1980, her first book, What If They Knew?, was published. Since then she has written over fifty books and received numerous awards including the Smithsonian Notable Book Award, the C. S. Lewis Honor Award, the American Library Association Best Book Award, and the award for the New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Years. She also writes The Cousins Club series and novelizations for screenplays including My Girl and My Girl 2. She has also researched and written six historical novels in the Scholastic Dear America/My America series.

(Bowker Author Biography)