The way we started was, Alison [McGhee] said, 'Tall girl, short girl.' We had no plans beyond that.

Life was so short; so many beautiful things slipped away.

There's a Buddhist precept that the only thing you deserve is the chance to do the work, and I've been given the chance to do the work.

In my stories for children, I sometimes show a hard, harsh, dangerous world. I'm going to show you the way it is, but I'm going to also tell you that there's every reason to hope.

And hope is like love...a ridiculous, wonderful, powerful thing.

The sound of the king's music made Despereaux's soul grow large and light inside of him.

It is our duty and our joy to communicate our hearts to each other. Words assist us in this task.