People Do Things That Turn Out Badly,

Gathering Blue' Was A Separate Book. I Wanted To Explore What A Society Might Become After A Catastrophic World Event. Only At The End Did I Realize I Could Make It Connect To 'the Giver.

As A Shy, Introverted, Scholarly Child (long Ago) I Don't Know What I Would Have Done Without Libraries! My Family Moved Often. I Was Always The New Kid In Town. The Library Always Offered Me My First And Most Important Friendship: The Place Where I Felt Right At Home. I Still Feel That Way Today, About Libraries.

I Often Compare Myself As A Kid To My Own Grandchildren, Who Are Around 11 And 14 Now. That's The Age Kids Usually Read My Book. And I Remember Myself, We'd Gone Through A World War. My Father Was An Army Officer So I Was Aware Of What Was Going On. But I Wasn't Bombarded With Images Of Catastrophe Like Many Kids Are Today.

I Was A Sidelines Child: Never Class President, Never Team Captain, Never The One With The Most Valentines In My Box.

I See All Of Them. All The Colors.