Patti has been a clinical social worker for over twenty years. She specializes in working with girls and young women, and their families. She is the award-winning author of many American Girl(R) titles, including A Smart Girl's Guide: Friendship Troubles (Revised), Friends: Making Them and Keeping Them, The Book Club Kit, Go for It, Stand Up for Yourself, A Smart Girl's Guide to Knowing What to Say, and What Would You Do? Patti is also a featured author in the parenting book, Raising an American Girl, and has been a consultant to American Girl for more than 13 years. In addition to her clinical practice, Patti teaches in the School of Social Work at Western Michigan University. Patti writes and speaks nationally on the topics of girl aggression and body image, and her work has been featured in print, on radio, and on television. She lives near Kalamazoo, Michigan, with her husband, Brian, and two children, Natalie and Jeff.