New York Times bestselling children's author speaks at Reagan

Apr. 20—New York Times bestselling children's author Margaret Peterson Haddix speaks to students at Reagan Elementary School Tuesday. The Education Foundation helped the school bring the author to Odessa and waited years for her to be able to appear.

Her website details that Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history.

Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois. She has since written more than 40 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Double Identity; Uprising; The Always War; the Greystone Secrets series; the Shadow Children series; the Missing series; the Children of Exile series; the Under Their Skin duology; and The Palace Chronicles. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association's Children's Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and numerous state reader's choice awards.

They have also been translated into more than 20 different languages, the site said. Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio. They are the parents of two grown kids.