... so you're doing a book report?

That's great! I can't always answer everyone's email, especially the night before your book report is due, so here are the answers to some questions I frequently get asked:

Q: Where do you live?
I live in Maryland and am married to a very nice man named Jonathan.

Q: Do you have any pets?
I have a big fat black cat named Princess Leia Organa after the character in Star Wars!

Q: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania called Audubon. I attended Audubon Elementary School, Arcola Middle School, and Methacton High School. I went on to attend Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA and majored in International Studies.

Q: Do you have a lot of brothers like May Amelia?
Yes! I have four brothers. (No sisters.)

Q: What did your parents do?
My mom is a nurse, and my dad is a retired pediatrician.

Q: What are your hobbies?
I love to read and go jogging. I also like to play video games and watch movies. (It helps melt my brain faster!)

Q: What are some of your favorite movies?
I loved The Empire Strikes Back, and The Lord of the Rings was great, too!

Q: When did you get interested in writing?
I've always been a big reader, and I think that if you like to read you will want to write!

Q: What are you working on now?
Boston Jane is actually a trilogy. So, the sequel -- Boston Jane, Wilderness Days will be published by HarperCollins in September, 2002. I am also working on a thriller for young adults called The Creek which will be published by HarperCollins in Summer 2003.

Q: Are you going to write a sequel for Our Only May Amelia?
Yes, I am going to write a "companion" book... from Wilbert's point-of-view!

Q: Who are some of your favorite writers?
I love Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. I also really like Karen Cushman, Meg Cabot, Jerry Spinelli, Laurence Yep, and Christopher Paul Curtis.

Q: What is the Newbery Award?
See http://www.ala.org/alsc/newbery.html. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It's a very big deal for writers, and I feel incredibly privileged to have received a 2000 Newbery Honor for "Our Only May Amelia".