I want to see children curled up with books, finding an awareness of themselves as they discover other people's thoughts. I want them to make the connection that books are people's stories, that writing is talking on paper, and I want them to write their own stories. I'd like my books to provide that connection for them.

The reasons kids get into trouble in one way or another is because - Who ever told them they were special?

I myself was terrified during the Second World War. The war started when I was six, and I was so sure that we were going to be bombed and killed. My imagination is my biggest plus and my worst minus.

Anyone who has problems, or worries, anyone who laughs and cries, anyone who feels can write. It's only talking on paper... talking about the things that matter to us.

Do you all have a living room floor or a bedroom floor? Then you can write a book.

Revision is the heart of writing. Every page I do is done over seven or eight times.

All of my books are based in some way on my personal experiences, or the experiences of members of my family, or the stories kids would tell me in school.