I read my books aloud before they were published.

I was a very observant child. The boys in my books are based on boys in my neighborhood growing up.

I feel sometimes that in children's books there are more and more grim problems, but I don't know that I want to burden third- and fourth-graders with them.

I don't think children's inner feelings have changed. They still want a mother and father in the very same house; they want places to play.

I was a great reader of fairy tales. I tried to read the entire fairy tale section of the library.

What interests me is what children go through while growing up.

Neither the mouse nor the boy was the least bit surprised that each could understand the other. Two creatures who shared a love for motorcycles naturally spoke the same language.