"I loved the idea of making history interesting for kids! When Scholastic approached me about 'The 39..." — Rick Riordan

I have a great deal of sympathy for reluctant readers because I was one. I would do anything to avoid reading. In my case, it wasn't until I was 13 and discovered the 'Lord of the Rings' that I learned to love reading.

I can't promise that every child with learning differences will become a novelist, but I do think all children can become lifelong readers.

I do like to wrap things up and leave some things to the readers' imagination.

I think kids want the same thing from a book that adults want - a fast-paced story, characters worth caring about, humor, surprises, and mystery. A good book always keeps you asking questions, and makes you keep turning pages so you can find out the answers.