I like to think of myself as a storyteller.

Reader, you must know that an interesting fate (sometimes involving rats, sometimes not) awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform.

Understand, I had absolutely no interest in writing; I wanted to be a Writer.

The sound of the king’s music made Despereaux’s soul grow large and light inside of him.

Everything I write comes from my childhood in one way or another. I am forever drawing on the sense of mystery and wonder and possibility that pervaded that time of my life.

She said the words, and then she had a strange moment of seeing them, hanging there over her head. “You’re going to vacuum up that squirrel!”There is just no predicting what kind of sentences you...

I think of myself as an enormously lucky person.

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.

Nothingwould beeasier withoutyou,because youare everything,all of it-sprinkles, quarks, giantdonuts, eggs sunny-side up-youare the ever-expandinguniverseto me.

Edward knew what it was like to say over and over again the names of those you had left behind. He knew what it was like to miss someone. And so he listened. And in...

Normally, Edward would have found intrusive, clingy behavior of this sort very annoying, but there was something about Sarah Ruth. He wanted to take care of her. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to...

Hands down, the biggest thrill is to get a letter from a kid saying, I loved your book. Will you write me another one?

Dear God, thank you for warm summer nights and candlelight and good food. But thank you most of all for friends. We appreciate the complicated and wonderful gifts you give us in each other. And...

I thought I was going nowhere. Now I can see there was a pattern.

You can’t always judge people by the things they done. You got to judge them by what they are doing now.

I love your round head,the brilliant green,the watching blue,these letters,this world, you.I am very, very hungry.

He was agitated for some reason that he could not name. (page 35)

Magic is always impossible. It begins with the impossible and ends with the impossible and is impossible in between. That’s why it is magic.

I always write with music. It takes me a while to figure out the right piece of music for what I’m working on. Once I figure it out, that’s the only thing I’ll play.

It is a horrible, terrible thing, the worst thing, to watch somebody you love die right in front of you and not be able to do nothing about it.

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