I'm just lucky. I do have very clear memories of childhood. I find that many people don't, but I'm just very fortunate that I have that kind of memory.

Quite often somebody will say, What year do your books take place? and the only answer I can give is, In childhood.

I have lovely memories of Los Angeles in the 1930s. I came down to live with my mother's cousin and they invited me to come and go to junior college for a year.

I was a very observant child. The boys in my books are based on boys in my neighborhood growing up.

What's catching people with this is that it brings back memories of their childhood. As an architect, it seems to be the perfect medium for conveying what the architect's intentions were.

I don't think children's inner feelings have changed. They still want a mother and father in the very same house; they want places to play.