If a man is keeping an idea to himself, and that idea is taken by stealth or trickery-I say it is stealing. But once a man has revealed his idea to others, it is no longer his alone. It belongs to the world.

All my books take a long time to research. I spend several months researching before I start writing, and in the middle of writing I often have to stop and look up stuff. At my local library, I am one of the best customers! The research takes several months.

I used to sit home with my computer and write. After the Newbery, I probably spend more than half my time on the road.

Most writers adore their editors, and I'm no exception.

Libraries hold the wisdom of the world and the stories of the ages - available to everyone, free of charge!

I want all my books to provoke some kind of response in the reader, to make them think something or feel something or both, and for that to become a part of them and work into their own lives.

I can give advice to anyone interested in writing in one word: Read! I think it's much more important to be a reader than to be a writer!