She wrote about the goofy things that could happen during a school play or a surprise party. She especially thought of children who couldn't read very well. She wrote the Polk Street series for them. The books were thick enough, and funny enough that no child had to be ashamed to read them. She got her ideas from real kids-her childhood, the lives of her children, the real stories other children would tell her.
Writing is very hard work, even when it's fun.
When Patricia Reilly Giff has spare time, she tries to relax. She likes to read in the bathtub or go to a movie. She and her husband have their own children's bookstore, called The Dinosaur's Paw after one of her books. She doesn't have to write in a closet anymore. Now she has a gazebo where she can watch the birds and deer as she works.