Grandma frowned and yelled something in Russian. She could have been saying, 'Open up, your best friend is here.' On the other hand, it could have been, 'America is a great country because of canned ravioli.

I handed my tools. The two of them reached down to help me out of the crater I'd dug. ''Isn't that a little deep?'' Yoda asked. ''It'll help the roots get established,'' I explained. ''Established where? China?

The best time to talk to ghosts is just before the sun comes up.

I knew how much it hurt to be the daughter of people who can't see you, not even if you are standing in front of them stomping your feet.

It's a shame we can't just admit that we failed family living, sell the house, split up the money, and get on with our lives.

The trick to surviving an interrogation is patience. Don't offer up anything. Don't explain. Answer the question and only the question that is asked so you don't accidentally put your head in a noose.

I wish America would stop judging and criticizing teens and instead, try to understand the battles they have to fight every day.