I didn't start out writing to give children hope, but I'm glad some of them found it.

Today I discovered two kinds of people who go to high school: those who wear new clothes to show off on the first day, and those who wear their oldest clothes to show they think school is unimportant.

I think the best teachers had a real interest in the subject they were teaching and a love for children.

Otis was inspired by a boy who sat across the aisle from me in sixth grade. He was a lively person. My best friend appears in assorted books in various disguises.

If she can't spell, why is she a librarian? Librarians should know how to spell.

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

My favorite books are a constantly changing list, but one favorite has remained constant: the dictionary. Is the word I want to use spelled practice or practise? The dictionary knows. The dictionary also slows down my writing because it is such interesting reading that I am distracted.