For almost thirteen years now, I’ve been getting letters in the mail from kids....

For almost thirteen years now, I’ve been getting letters in the mail from kids. These missives are honest (“I didn’t really like your book, but my teacher said I had to write you a letter anyway”), heartfelt (“I know how Opal feels. I have had to be the new kid in town.”), funny (“Hey, I keep on meaning to tell you that they have made a movie out of one of your books. You should see if you can look at it.”) and engaging (“I want to tell you some things about myself. But there is so much about...