I read my books out loud to myself because of the demands of the story and demands of language.

I was born in Philadelphia and currently live in Minneapolis. I write for both children and adults.

There ain't no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it.

Once upon a time," he said out loud to the darkness. He said these words because they were the best, the most powerful words that he knew and just the saying of them comforted him.

There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name.

When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.

Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.

The undoing is almost always more difficult than the doing.

You must be filled with expectancy. You must be awash in hope. You must wonder who will love you, whom you will love next.

It is important that you say what you mean to say. Time is too short. You must speak the words that matter.

The world is dark, and light is precious. Come closer, dear reader. You must trust me. I am telling you a story.

There are two types of 'busy': 1)Constantly distracting yourself from what is true. 2) Constantly working to create something real.

I think it's interesting to have a cool character not look so cool, you know?

We have a government that, generally speaking, does not respond to the people.

We've made hyper motherhood a measure of female success.

People in Sweden talk a lot about the weather - how much we hate it. But Finns get more depressed.

All life on earth emanates from the green of the plant

There was never any down side to casting friends over professionals. It was always fun seeing folks who never performed before stretching their wings.

The only true phenom...is me.

We do not go to cowards for tender dealing; there is nothing so cruel as panic; the man who has least fear for his own carcase, has most time to consider others.