In elementary school, I did well in science, but I was a poor writer. When I got to high school, I failed all my courses. Avi More Quotes by Avi More Quotes From Avi In my books I try to tell a good story, not give messages. Avi story try good tell Everybody has ideas. The vital question is, what do you do with them? My rock musician sons shape their ideas into music. My sister takes her ideas and fashions them into poems. My brother uses his ideas to help him understand science. I take my ideas and turn them into stories. Avi you music brother science Listen and watch the world around you. Don't be satisfied with answers others give you. Avi listen you satisfied world I was born in New York City, along with a twin sister. I am five minutes older than Emily. It was Emily, for reasons no one knows - she certainly doesn't - who called me Avi. It stuck. It's the only name I use now. Avi i-am city me sister Every night, I was read to. Every Friday, we were taken to the library. I always received at least one book for my birthday. I have a few of them yet. Early on, I had my own collection of books. I loved to read. Still do. Avi library birthday night book For some 25 years, I worked as a librarian, first at the New York Public Library, then at Trenton State College in New Jersey. My life has always been with, around, and for books. Avi my-life new library life I don't like the idea of a book being a test or being used for a test. The way - in my opinion - to make good readers is to let kids choose their own books and not test them. Avi good opinion book way The truth is I don't watch TV at all. It bores me. Avi watch me truth-is truth Writing is my profession. Photography is my hobby. Avi hobby profession photography writing To become a novelist, the most crucial thing one must do is read, read and read again - gradually you begin to think like a writer. Ideas are not found - they are shaped. Avi like think you ideas Writers don't write writing, they write reading. When I was a kid, I read four or five books a week. And that is how I became a writer. Avi how kid reading writing My mind has become somewhat like a book. What I mean by that is that when I look at the world, I see it as a story. Avi look mind book world Writing takes a lot of patience. It usually takes me a year to write a book. One time, it took me 14 years to write a book, not that I worked on it every day. Avi day me time patience I think you become a writer when you stop writing for yourself or your teachers and start thinking about readers. Avi teachers yourself you thinking Don't assume that because everyone believes a thing, that it is right or wrong. Reason things out for yourself. Work to get answers on your own. Understand why you believe things. Avi yourself you work believe It makes it harder to write if I watch a lot of television, because television is not like a written story. Avi story because like television