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Books are such a great way to spend time with your children, open lines of communication with your children, and just build that strong foundation.

I think what makes good children's books is putting the same care and effort into it as if I was writing for adults. I don't write anything - put anything in my books - that I'd be embarrassed to put in an adult book.

I write books that seem more suitable for children, and that's OK with me. They are a better audience and tougher critics. Kids tell you what they think, not what they think they should think.

Writing for children is bloody difficult; books for children are as complex as their adult counterparts, and they should therefore be accorded the same respect.

As a writer, you should care about reluctant readers. You want these kids to feel like books are amazing and cool and that they're an escape.

Here's the thing: If you don't want your kids to read a book, fine. You can tell them not to read a book, and maybe they will and maybe they won't. But you can't say what other kids can read.

You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.

I am sure of this: that no one can write a book which children will like unless he write it for himself first.

I never thought I was writing for kids at all. It really shocked and unsettled me to hear kids were buying the books. If I'd known I was writing for kids, I might actually have spelt things out a bit more, and that would probably have killed the appeal.