Mattie Stepanek read from his new book Hope Through Heartsongs, published by Hyperion. A question and answer period followed the reading. Mattie Stepanek, age 11, has been writing poetry since he was three. He is the author of two other books, Heartsongs and Journey Through Heartsongs. In 2002, Mattie, who lives with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, became the national ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. After his presentation, he answered questions from the audience.