Quite often somebody will say, What year do your books take place? and the only answer I can give is, In childhood.

I hope children will be happy with the books I've written, and go on to be readers all of their lives.

One rainy Sunday when I was in the third grade, I picked up a book to look at the pictures and discovered that even though I did not want to, I was reading. I have been a reader ever since.

With twins, reading aloud to them was the only chance I could get to sit down. I read them picture books until they were reading on their own.

If you don't see the book you want on the shelves, write it.

Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.

She was not a slowpoke grownup. She was a girl who could not wait. Life was so interesting she had to find out what happened next.

I didn't start out writing to give children hope, but I'm glad some of them found it.

Nothing in the whole world felt as good as being able to make something from a sudden idea.

I wanted to be a ballerina. I changed my mind.

Neither the mouse nor the boy was the least bit surprised that each could understand the other. Two creatures who shared a love for motorcycles naturally spoke the same language.

Isn't it funny how true peace describes war and chaos?

I would question any fee. Let them know you're comparison shopping among several lenders.

…and Emma felt another small portion of her soul fall away.

What I don't want to do is just play for the sake of playing.

Human beings are special. We're creatures (we're not little gods), but we're also more than creatures. In fact, we're the most wonderful creatures in the world next to God.

Sometimes, you just have to go in there and bowl people over with your sheer force of will.

Rice cakes and peanut butter is my favorite snack in the whole wide world.

People like to put you in a little box, and that's where they are comfortable with you being.

The key to growing up well, is being tough enough.

Good-humor will sometimes conquer ill-humor, but ill-humor will conquer it oftener; and for this plain reason, good-humor must operate on generosity, ill-humor on meanness.