I have no special talent, you know. I never took a writing course before I began to write.

Do you all have a living room floor or a bedroom floor? Then you can write a book.

I want to see children curled up with books, finding an awareness of themselves as they discover other people's thoughts. I want them to make the connection that books are people's stories, that writing is talking on paper, and I want them to write their own stories. I'd like my books to provide that connection for them.

Outside of family, writing is essential. To me, it's like breathing.

The reasons kids get into trouble in one way or another is because - Who ever told them they were special?

Everything in my life affects my writing. There are no separate parts of my life.