Once Morris Gleitzman came to Singapore

It's always interesting to meet an author because they never seem to match the image you have made of them! Morris Gleitzman writes laugh-out-loud kind of books, so I expected an outwardly funny joke-a-minute person to turn up. Never trust your imagination! Not that I was disappointed. Not at all. Mr Gleitzman is a calm presence, extremely obliging and I suspect as wonderful a person as you could expect to meet. I say that not from a cursory chat, of course, but you surely can tell something about a person's character from their writing. Some of the themes he writes about are very sensitive - moving home, people with terminal illness, displaced refugees, victims of tragedies - and his protagonists are full of an inner resilience and hope that carries them through the tough times. So you might end up shedding a quiet tear or having your heartstrings pulled as well. That makes his books worth more than the few $$ it will cost you to fork out. And yes, I do suggest you read them along with your kids.

Check out his website for more information about the man and his work. And, if you are reading this, Mr Gleitzman, I will make sure your books have equal shelf space to that given to books about boy wizards!