1. “I do believe that people who write for children are deeply connected to their own childhood.”
2. “Determination and hard work are important as talent.”
3. “The best books come from someplace inside. You don’t write because you want to, but because you have to.”
4. “I wanted to write honest books for kids because I didn’t have those when I was a kid.”
5. “You’ve got to enjoy whatever you can and forget about the rest.”
6. “How we handle our feras will determine where we go with the rest of our lives.”
7. “A person without curiosity may as well be dead.”
8. “My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully and yell for help if you need it.”
9. “A library is here you meet fascinating characters you never forget.”
10. “Believe in yoursel and you can achieve greatness in your life.”
11. “Having the freedom to read and freedom to choose is one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me.”
12. “Fear is often disguised as moral outrage.”
13. “I don’t necessarily want to talk about a book that I read. Even when I love it.”
14. “A good writer is always a people watcher.”
15. “The truth will make you odd.”
16. “The only thing that works with writing is that you care so passionately about it yourself, that you make someone else care passionately about it.”
17. “Life goes on if you’re one of the lucky ones.”
18. “I can’t let safety and security become the focus of my life.”
19. “Something will be offensive to someone in every book, so you’ve got to fight it.”
20. “Do not tell me what to do and do not tell me what I can’t do.”
21. “My mother was my greatest fan.”
22. “Ideals come from everywhere – they come from what you see and hear and imagine.”
23. “Another thing all writers have in common is we’re all observers. We pay attention to detail.”
24. “Little kids are amazing. hey seem able to adjust to anything.”
25. “Nothing teaches you as much about writing dialogue as listening to it.”
26. “Something awful happens to a person who grows up as a creative kid and suddenly finds no creative outlet as an adult.”
27. “Snoring keeps the monsters away.”
28. “I don’t think people change; electronics change, the things we have change, but the way we live doesn’t change.”
29. “I am such a rewriter; I have so many notebooks filled with drafts you wouldn’t believe.”
30. “Isn’t that interesting. All the book clubs. I’ve never belonged to one.”
