Laurie Halse Anderson was born in Potsdam, New York in 1961. During her senior year of high school, Anderson left home and spent thirteen months as an exchange student living on a pig farm in Denmark. This experience encouraged her to attend college when she returned to the United States. Anderson earned her associate's degree after completing two years at Onondaga Community College, where she worked on a dairy farm. Upon graduation, Anderson transferred to Georgetown University, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in 1984.
She began her career as a freelance reporter, but soon moved to writing children’s picture books. Many of her picture books are intended to teach children American...