Jacqueline Woodson says she can write three books at one time.

"I have a short attention span, so when one book isn't working out, I just work on another."

	Jacqueline Woodson Click photo for larger image. Listen In: Hear excerpts from Jacqueline Woodson's conversation with PG book editor Bob Hoover: Experiences that prepared her to be a fulltime writer Writing for young adult readers On how people continue to read despite electronic distractions; also, reading to her daughter Related article MY GEN Book Club: Celebrating Black History

In that way, Ms. Woodson has written 20 books for young readers, from picture books such as this month's MY GEN Book Club Focus book, "Show Way," to stories for high schoolers.

Like so many writers today, Ms. Woodson has her own Web site -- jacquelinewoodson.com -- and it's a great place to start learning about this busy author.

We were able to talk to her by phone from her home in Brooklyn, the New York neighborhood where she grew up. She was getting ready for a trip this week to Brazil, where she'll visit schools in that Latin American country.

Q: What prepared you to be a writer?

A: One of the things that prepared me was studying when I was growing up, being able to sit quietly for long periods of time and having that kind of discipline of, even though there's loud noise around you or music or whatever, it doesn't distract you so you can focus on the page.

I read a lot of the books that I love again and again and again and try to understand how the writer did it.

Q: Since you grew up in Brooklyn, did you read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"?

A: Of course. It's one of my most favorite books of all time. Plus "Daddy Was a Numbers Runner." I love that book. It's sort of the African-American version of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."

Q: Do you read any adult writers today?

A: I still love Carson McCullers and Raymond Carver and Toni Morrison and James Baldwin.

Q: What books do you read to your daughter, Toshi?

A: She likes "Show Way" because she's in it, but mostly she likes [author] Jenny B. Jones, and she likes Moe Willems, who's another Brooklyn writer.

Q: Do you believe there are too many things like the Internet to distract kids from reading?

A: People said that about us in the 1950s when television came, and we said it when the Internet came. But, if we start kids reading at a really young age, they will keep doing it. Maybe not the way we do it, but they will do it. Getting on the Internet and reading an article there is still reading.