"The most important things to me in my own life, as well as in my books, are human relationships of all kinds," Lois Lowry once told Author and Artists for Young Adults (AAYA) in an interview. "Although my books deal largely with families, I also attach a great deal of importance to friendships. Those are the things young people should pay attention to in their lives." Lowry's ability to explore young people's lives and relationships--in works both funny and serious--has made her one of today's most popular and critically acclaimed authors for young teens. Whether writing about the everyday trials and tribulations of Anastasia Krupnik or the extraordinary courage shown by children living in oppressive societies, Lowry spins a compelling story containing characters with whom young readers can identify. As Brad Owens commented in the Christian Science Monitor, "author Lois Lowry has a sensitive way of taking problems...