Sometimes you need to give people something that's for them, not just something that makes you feel good giving it.

What I have come to believe is that joy is the twin sister of gratitude. I am most joyful when I am most grateful.

You gotta know someone cares about you, or you just give up.

You never know ahead of time what something's really going to be like.

Our fundamental task as human beings is to seek out connections-to exercise our imaginations.

Kids often ask me if characters are real or made up - and I always tell them, 'I hope they're real but I made them up.'

As much pleasure as young people get from Twittering and texting, there is no way these activities will nourish their minds and spirits the way literature can.