To me, family is everything. I want children to realize how important their families are and what a support system a family is.

I cannot outline. I do not know what the next thing is going to happen in the book until it comes out of my fingers.

What I think of sometimes, as I read the new books - do kids really need to see such a seamy side of life? I'm in the minority, such an old woman, perhaps. I love the books that have given kids joy, that give them hope at the end. Sometimes it seems to me the books right now are very depressive.

I loved teaching. It was my world. I only left because I was overwhelmed with three careers - teaching, writing, and my family.

Everything in my life affects my writing. There are no separate parts of my life.

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.

Many times in my life I've been upset about something and said to myself, "Will this matter in two years?" Not even in two months.