Why did Martha dedicate Effie

to reporters everywhere?

Before Martha started writing children's books, she was a reporter. She still believes it is the greatest job ever. You get to ask nosy questions till after a while you actually know something useful! Even more important, reporters tell us the people what's really going on in government and business. This is especially important in a democracy where the people are supposed to be in charge. Reporters rock! Thanks for doing what you do. 

       More Secrets About Martha

1. Martha’s dachshund Max was once kidnapped by a coyote and escaped.

2. Martha doesn’t know anyone named Mrs.Wow, but while she was working on Mrs. Wow Never Wanted a Cow, her daughter Rosa was attending summer camp at Hameau Farm in Belleville, Pennsylvania, a working dairy farm run by a wonderful woman named Audrey Gay Rodgers.

3. Who Stole Uncle Sam? is dedicated to the State College American All Stars of 2007. Martha’s son, Ethan, played on this team, and Martha spent so many hours watching baseball that summer, she figured she’d better call it research and put baseball into a book. 

4. Martha has not owned a working television in 40 years.

5. Martha was almost done writing Who Stole Halloween? when she realized you couldn’t really have a story about Halloween that didn’t have a haunted house in it, so she rewrote the whole book.

6. Martha keeps a chocolate bar next to her bed at all times.

7. Now a runner for fun, Martha hated running as a student and was the slowest one at Glenoaks Elementary School. She is still slow.

8. One of Martha's three talents is making a piecrust. If you want to see her in action, watch the video below.