I had this idea about terrible things happening to orphans, and I knew it was such a horrible idea that the idea of writing it down and then submitting it professionally was obviously absurd.

When you start reading nonfiction books about piracy, you realize that it's actually just a history of desperate people.

Sometimes words are not enough.

How do you do?" said Violet. "How do you do?" said Klaus. "Odo yow!" said Sunny.

The hallway was lined with numbered doors, odd numbers on one side and even numbers on the other, and large ornamental vases, too large to hold flowers and too small to hold spies.

Put your hair up, Min. The secret ingredient is not your hair.

It was a secret time and place, you next to me, untraceable and out of this world