His father, a former stockbroker who was bankrupted by the Stock Market Crash of 1929, struggled to support the Alexander family through a number of largely unsuccess-ful business ventures. Money was scarce, and little was available for lessons in the piano, an early love of Alexander's. Eventually he became impassioned with books, scouring the odd assortment that lay about his household. "I learned to read quite young and have been an avid reader ever since, even though my parents and relatives were not great readers," he was quoted by Lee Bennett Hopkins in
More Books by More People. "I was more or less left to my own devices and interests, which, after all, may not be such a bad idea." Alexander became very fond of Greek and Celtic mythologies, in addition to the Welsh tales and legends contained in the
Mabinogion. He also discovered the novels of Charles Dickens, and was particularly impressed with
David Copperfield. "Dickens was one of many authors who helped me grow up (and are still helping)," Alexander wrote in
Top of the News. "For a long while he was both refuge and encouragement.
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