Why I Read Them

Sometimes people ask, or wonder but are too polite to ask, why I read books for kids. In our local library I'm probably the only adult who checks some of those out every week without intending them to be read by children.

Okay, here are the reasons:

1. I write books for kids.

2. I can usually finish a middle grade and sometimes a YA novel in an hour or two and don't have to put it down in the middle of a story.

3. YA books are usually not offensive or depressing.

4. Okay, here's the real reason: I'm still really a kid on the inside and hope I never grow up.

Of course I sometimes read books for grown-ups, too, but those are mostly non-fiction and I read them for practical reasons.