I read my books out loud to myself because of the demands of the story and demands of language.

At the thought of being eaten by rats, Despereaux forgot about being brave. He forgot about not being a disappointment. He felt himself heading into another faint. But his mother, who had an excellent sense of dramatic timing, beat him to it; she executed a beautiful, flawless swoon, landing right at Despereaux's feet.

I feel like I've been blessed. I see the world through stories.

Going out and not only meeting the kids, but meeting the teachers and the librarians and seeing the world, fills me up.

If you have no intention of loving or being loved, the whole journey is pointless.

Say it, reader. Say the word 'quest' out loud. It is an extraordinary word, isn't it? So small and yet so full of wonder, so full of hope.

It distresses me that parents insist that their children read or make them read. I think the best way for children to treasure reading is for them to see the adults in their lives reading for their own pleasure.