Words of Wisdom from the National Book Festival

Couldn't travel to DC to attend the most amazing celebration of books in the world? Have no fear! I took some notes for you.

"You might be writing about what you know, but in a very alien context... It's more about the truth you know."

—M.T. Anderson
author of Feed and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing

"This is for all the boys out there: It doesn't matter how terrible you are, how gross you are. You'll meet a woman, and she'll fix you."

—Michael Buckley
author of NERDS and The Sisters Grimm

"It's odd for me to be considered a writer. In fact, people used to go the other way and think comics cause illiteracy."

—Jeff Smith
author of BONE and Little Mouse Gets Ready

"They're usually not reluctant to read but reluctant to read the books we push on them... Remember the mantra 'The right book for the right child at the right time.'"

—Anita Silvey
former editor of Horn Book and author of 100 Best Books for Children

"How long does it take me to write a book? I wrote a book in the shower once, and that was a record... It just came to me all at once."

—Katherine Paterson
author of Bridge to Terabithia and The Day of the Pelican

What a great way to spend the very first day of Banned Book Week. As Antia Silvey said, it truly was a "joie de livres."