I was an only child; I didn't have a sister, or sisters.

I enjoy writing for third and fourth graders most of all.

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 necessarily start with the beginning of the book. I just start with the part of the story that's most vivid in my imagination and work forward and backward from there.

He was dressed as if everything he wore had come from different stores or from a rummage sale, except that the crease in his trousers was sharp and his shoes were shined.

Writers are good at plucking out what they need here and there.

In seventh grade...I found a place on the [library]shelf where my book would be if I ever wrote a book, which I doubted.