Richard Peck has written many stories, poems, and essays, mostly for young people. His books for young people include Voices after Midnight, A Long Way from Chicago, Strays Like Us, and the four-book Blossom Culp series. About his novels, Peck says, "I want to write novels that ask honest questions about serious issues. A novel is never an answer; it's always a question." He also notes that his books have one theme in common: that a person will never begin to grow up until he or she becomes independent from peers. Peck's stories examine characters who learn to think and act for themselves.