Do You Have A Hamster?
No, I don't have one now and never have owned one. I think they're adorable but my dog, Desi, loves to chase rodents around the yard. I think she'd be very mad at me if I had a hamster. The hamster probably wouldn't like her too much, either. I guess she inspired the chapter with Clem in it, although she's not pleased that Humphrey called him "dumb." By the way, I love all animals. I really do.

Don't You Really Want A Hamster? They Make Good Pets.
I love hearing about my readers' hamsters and they definitely make good pets. I doubt that I'll ever get one, because of Desi. I think I prefer pets that aren't in cages. I hear from a lot of readers who are trying to convince their parents to let them have a hamster and have to say: hamsters aren't for everyone.

Do You Like Being An Author?
I absolutely love it. I feel very lucky. Every single day. Honest.

How Did You Know You Wanted To Be A Writer? How Old Were You When You Wrote Your First Book?
Around age seven, I wrote my first book, Teddy Bear in the Woods. As soon as I could read books, I knew I wanted to write them.

Where Did You Get The Idea For Humphrey?
My son was in a science classroom with a lot of classroom pets - even a boa constrictor. I wondered what the classroom looked like through their eyes and decided to write a book from the point of view of a classroom pet. It took a while to narrow it down to a hamster, but they are popular classroom animals.

What Was Your Favorite Book As A Child? Now?
I loved so many books, I can't really pick a favorite. Animal stories I liked were CHARLOTTE'S WEB and STUART LITTLE, MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE, BEN AND ME, LITTLE WOMEN. I loved these series: LITTLE HOUSE books, BETSY-TACY books (Maud Hart Lovelace), Nancy Drew, Dr. Doolittle and Mary Poppins. I could never name them all. I still re-read my favorite childhood books often.

How Old Is Humphrey?
He's still just a few months old. But mentally, he's the same age as the students in Room 26.

How Did You Come Up With The Name "Humphrey?"
Many people think I named the hamster for the movie actor, Humphrey Bogart. But in truth, I named him for Humphrey Street. That's the street in St. Louis where my parents grew up as neighbors and where I spent many happy hours visiting my grandparents.

Will You Write Another Humphrey Book? And Another One And Another One?
There are five Humphrey books in print:
World According To Humphrey
Friendship According To Humphrey
Trouble According To Humphrey
Surprises According To Humphrey
Adventure According To Humphrey.
And I'm going to do a series of shorter, illustrated Humphrey books soon! I am writing the sixth According To Humphrey book now. And there will be more.

What's Your Favorite Part Of The Book?
What's Your Favorite Character?
Ah, a trick question! I think I have to like to whole book or I would rewrite it. I always hope that every part of the book is good and that the whole story hangs together. I think my favorite part is whatever part I'm working on at any given time. The same thing goes for characters, although I have to say that my favorite character is HUMPHREY!

Is Humphrey Like You?
In a lot of ways, he is. I think he's what I'd be if I were a better person. I do sometimes repeat things there times when I'm excited. I'm a great one for making Plans. I always wanted to do the right thing, even as a young child. I'd like to make a difference in people's lives. I like to observe what other people are doing. But Humphrey is a lot more selfless than I am, sad to say!

Do You Think Humphrey Or Og Is Funnier?
That's an interesting question. I tried to make them really different from one another. That's why they have a hard time communicating and understanding one another. I don't know which one of them is funnier but I think they are funny when they are together.

How Do You Write So Fast?
Sometimes I write like wildfire but not always. Sometimes I write like I'm slogging through mud. But I keep on writing because I have a lot of ideas.

How You Get Your Characters?
I don't set out to copy people I knew, but some characters are inspired by real people. For instance, in elementary school I was in class with a girl who would never answer the teacher's questions. She'd just sit there and stare at her desk. I don't know why. She was able to talk. But she gave me the idea for Sayeh. Then I invented the reason why she doesn't talk.

What's Your Favorite Book You Wrote?
I can't choose one. It would be like asking a parent to choose which child she likes best. I guess my favorite book is always the next one I plan to write.

Is Spelling Hard For You?
No, spelling always came easily to me and I won many spelling bees. However, I can't draw very well. I wish I could.

What Other Books Have You Written?
I've written over 35 books. Many of them were Disney-themed books, especially Winnie-the-Pooh.
I wrote two pictures books, Tyrannosaurus Tex and Pie's In The Oven. Then I wrote the Humphrey books, The Seven Wonders Of Sassafras Springs and The Princess And The Peabodys.

Don't forget now: READ-READ-READ!

Humphrey