You don't have to fight dragons to write books. You just have to live deeply the life you've been given.

Many people are angry when they make a mistake, but very few people have the sense to be sorry.

Children have to have access to books, and a lot of children can't go to a store and buy a book. We need not only our public libraries to be funded properly and staffed properly, but our school libraries. Many children can't get to a public library, and the only library they have is a school library.

You don't have to fight dragons to write books. You just have to live deeply the life you've been given.

I'm sure my first nine years have had a powerful influence on the kind of books I write.

Since my first novel was rescued from a slush pile, it makes me sad that most publishing houses no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts. Nor are many willing to take chances on novels that are not deemed immediately "marketable."

Teachers have almost stopped reading aloud to their classes because of the pressure of testing and tight curricula, but it is the books we read together and talk about together that bring us closer together.