I had a simple dream that children and parents could check out books and enjoy the services that were offered at other libraries. I never imagined it would be as big as it is.

I look at my books the way parents look at their children. The fact that one becomes more successful than the others doesn't make me love the less successful one any less.

The relation between parents and children is essentially based on teaching

Be careful who you leave them with. Don't trust nobody.

In a way, we were robbed of a rich educational experience.

My daughter is seven, and some of the other second-grade parents complain that their children don't read for pleasure. When I visit their homes, the children's rooms are crammed with expensive books, but the parent's rooms are empty. Those children do not see their parents reading, as I did every day of my childhood. By contrast, when I walk into an apartment with books on the shelves, books on the bedside tables, books on the floor, and books on the toilet tank, then I know what I would see if I opened the door that says 'PRIVATE--GROWNUPS KEEP OUT': a child sprawled on the bed, reading.