That was the rule that you never mixed up troubles at home with life at school. When parents were poor or ignorant or mean, or even just didn't believe in having a TV set, it was up to their kids to protect them.

Death is very mysterious to us. One moment someone is there with us, and the next moment they're not.

It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading.

life ain't supposed to be nothing, 'cept maybe tough

I think if a book has the power to move a reader, it also has the power to offend a reader. And you want your books to have power, so you just have to take what comes with that.

Everybody gets scared sometimes, May Belle. You don't have to be ashamed.

You gotta know someone cares about you, or you just give up.