Marjorie Weinman Sharmat was born Marjorie Weinman in Portland, Maine on November 12, 1928. She received a degree in merchandising from Westbrook Junior College in 1948. She briefly worked at a department store, before taking a position in the Circulation Department at the Yale University Library in 1951. She transferred to the circulation staff at the Yale Law Library in 1954. She wrote more than 130 books for children and young adults during her lifetime. Her first children's book, Rex, was published in 1967. Her other books included the Nate the Great series; the Olivia Sharp, Agent for Secrets series written with her husband Mitchell Sharmat; The Kids of the Bus series written with her son Andrew Sharmat; I Saw Him First; and Goodnight Andrew; Goodnight Craig. She died from respiratory failure on March 12, 2019 at the age of 90. (Bowker Author Biography)