Rowan of Rin

"Seven hearts the journey make.
Seven ways the hearts will break.
Bravest heart will carry on
When sleep is death, and hope is gone.
Look in the fiery jaws of fear
And see the answer white and clear,
Then throw away all thoughts of home,
For only then your quest is done."

Clementine

"Someone should tell you not to answer the phone in the principal's office, if that's a rule."

"Principal Rice rolled her eyes to the ceiling then, like she was looking for something up there.  Ceiling snakes maybe, just waiting to drip on you.  That's what I used to be afraid of when I was little, anyway.  Now I am not afraid of anything.

Okay, fine, I am afraid of pointy things.  But that is all.

And boomerangs."

Frindle

"Who says dog means dog? You do Nickolas.  You and I and everyone in this class and this school and this town and this state and this country.  We all agree."

"'Here's your... frindle.'
'Frindle?' Janet took her pen and looked at him like he was nuts.  She wrinkled her nose and said, 'What's a frindle?'
Nick grinned and said, 'You'll find out.  Se ya later.'"

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub

"'Help! Help! 'Cried the Page when the sun came up. 'King Bidgood's in the bathtub, and he won't get out! Oh, who knows what to do?'"

Bunnicula

"The enclosed story is true.  It happened in this very town, to me and the family with whom I reside.  I have changed the names of the family in order to protect them, but in all other respects, everything you will read here is factual."

"It's...
Yes?
It's...
What is it, Chester?!
It's a white zucchini!"

The Story of Ferdinand

"Once upon a time in Spain there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand. All the other little bulls he lived with would run and jump and butt their heads together, but not Ferdinand. He liked to sit just quietly and smell the flowers."

Riding Freedom

"After ten years at the orphanage, Charlotte wasn't like most girls her age.  And who knew if it was growing up like a follow-along puppy in a pack of ruffian boys, or if it was just her own spit and fire.  But she never had a doll or a tea party.  She couldn't sew a stitch and she didn't know a petticoat from a pea pod."

"It would be easy to stay here and just go about her business.  At least she'd know where she'd be sleeping every night.  She'd have regular meals.  But she wouldn't have the things she loved.  What did Vern always say?  That the easy way ain't always going to get you anywhere."

Press Here

"Ready?
Press here and turn the page."

Marty McGuire

"That nice Mrs. Kramer lied to me about third grade.

On the last day of school, she gave us cupcakes with sprinkles and little beach umbrellas and said have a super-duper summer and she'd wave to us in the hallway next year.  She said third grade would be even more fun than second grade.  She said we'd read bigger books and keep our old friends and make new ones and even get to be in the school play.

None of that is true.  Because Veronica Grace Smithers has stolen my best friend and taken over recess.  I'd call Veronica Grace Princess Bossy-Pants if I were allowed to call people names.

But I'm not.

So I won't."

Freight Train

"A train runs across this track.
Red caboose at the back"

The Westing Game

"Sunset Towers faced east and had no towers.  This glittery, glassy apartment house stood alone on the Lake Michigan shore five stories high.  Five empty stories high."

"Six letters were delivered, just six.  Six appointments were made, and one by one, family by family, talk, talk, talk, Barney Northrup led the tours around and about Sunset Towers."

"Who were these people, these specially selected tenants?  They were mothers and fathers and children.  A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge.  And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake."

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie

"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk.  When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw."

The Littles

"There was a secret look-out place behind the light switch in the hall of the Biggs' house.  One of the screws was missing.  The empty hole was large enough for a Little to look and listen through.  Mr. Little spent all the next day at the look-out place.  Tom Little stayed with him.  They were waiting for the Newcombs."

Clap Your Hands

"Clap your hands, stomp your feet.  Shake your arms, then take a seat."

Mudshark

"The Mudshark was cool.  Not because he said he was cool or knew he was or thought it.  Not because he tried or even cared. He just was."

"This is the principal.  Would the custodian please report to the faculty restroom with a plastic shield, a hazardous waste suit and a large container of pepper spray? Also, whoever took erasers out of room two oh two, please refrain from removing erasers from two oh two in the future. Also, refrain from taking erasers from two oh four. Thank you. Oh and the gerbil was seen near the vice principal's office - she said it was "scurry-ing, very ratlike." You should not try to pick it up if it is, indeed a rat. I repeat: Refrain from picking up rats. Thank you."

The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters

"Once upon a bicycle,
So they say,
A Jolly Postman came one day
From over the hills
And far away...
With a letter for the Three Bears"

The Puppy Sister

"'I didn't say I wanted a dog.  I said a brother or sister might have been nice.'  That's the first thing I can remember Nick saying.  Nick doesn't remember coming home from the hospital when he was born, but I remember coming home from the farm.  That is the first happening I can remember, coming home.  And Nick's first words."

Diary of a Worm

"March 29
Today I tried to teach Spider how to dig.  First of all his legs got stuck.  Then he swallowed a bunch of dirt. Tomorrow he's going to teach me to walk upside down.

March 30
Worms cannot walk upside down."

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

"Across as an ocean, over lots of huge bumpy mountains, across three hot deserts and one smaller ocean there lay the town of Chewandswallow."

"After a brief shower of orange juice, low clouds of sunny-side up eggs moved in followed by pieces of toast. Butter and jelly sprinkled down for the toast. And most of the time it rained milk afterwards."

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

"And then what? What will happen when he announces that there's a group of civilized rats roaming loose - rats that can read, and think, and figure things out?' I said: 'Let's wait until we're free before we worry about that.' But Jenner was right. It was a thing to worry about, and maybe still is."

"I'm Timothy's mother. If you, and Arthur, and others in your group can take risks to save him, surely I can too."