The Children's Book World Has Given Me

I Am Called To Listen To The Sound Of My Own Heart -- To Write The Story Within Myself That Demands To Be Told At That Particular Point In My Life. And If I Do This Faithfully, Clothing That Idea In The Flesh Of Human Experience And Setting It In A True Place, The Sound From My Heart Will Resound In The Reader's Heart.

What I Have Come To Believe Is That Joy Is The Twin Sister Of Gratitude. I Am Most Joyful When I Am Most Grateful.

I Woke Up One Morning And Realized That What I Wanted To Say To Everyone - Children, Young People, Adults - Was: Read For Your Life.

We Can Read The Paper Or Current Magazines And Learn About National And World Events, Think About Controversial Subjects, Learn How To Disagree Respectfully, And How, Finally, To Act On Our Convictions. We Can Read For Pure Delight, And If We Do This As A Family Or Classroom Or Other Group We Can Build Wonderful Memories.

You Think It's So Great To Die And Make Everyone Cry And Carry On. Well It Ain't.