Every well-written book is a light for me. When you write, you use other writers and their books as guides in the wilderness.

Hands down, the biggest thrill is to get a letter from a kid saying, I loved your book. Will you write me another one?

The world is dark, and light is precious.
Come closer, dear reader.
You must trust me.
I am telling you a story.

I didn't start working on children's books until I got a job at a book warehouse on the children's floor. When I started reading some of the books, I was so impressed.

the story is not a pretty one. there is violence in it. And cruelty. But stories that are not pretty have a certain value, too, I suppose. Everything, as you well know (having lived in this world long enough to have figured out a thing or two for yourself), cannont always be sweetness and light.

Like most hearts, it was complicated, shaded with dark and dappled with light.