My mother always kept library books in the house, and one rainy Sunday afternoon - this was before television, and we didn't even have a radio - I picked up a book to look at the pictures and discovered I was reading and enjoying what I read.
Ramona was originally an accidental character I added to the Henry Huggins books because I noticed that none of the characters had siblings. I added Ramona as Beazus' pestering little sister.
I wrote books to entertain. I'm not trying to teach anything! If I suspected the author was trying to show me how to be a better behaved girl, I shut the book.
My books take place in a very specific neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. It must be the most stable neighborhood in the United States.
I'm very surprised at the high number of boys who have written to say that reading my books was hard work but worth it. I have many loyal boy readers.