"It's easy to get ideas, but not easy to get good ideas." Jerry Spinelli, whose birthday is February 1st, finds ideas everywhere but is especially inspired by his young readers.

"Each kid is a population unto him or herself, and a child's bedroom is as much a window to the universe as an orbiting telescope in a philosopher's study."

Known for his Newbery-winning title Maniac Magee (1991), Newbery Honor winner Wringer (1998) and Stargirl (2002) Spinelli advises new writers to "write what you really care about." For him, it's the stuff of everyday life. "I think a person's life is a mixture of happy, sad, and funny. So I try to make my books that way too."