70 Quotes by Jaclyn Moriarty

Mrs. Cheerson, our old teacher? She gave us an essay to write over the holiday. It was on To Kill a Mockingbird, which I read and it was good, and I think it’s stupid to spoil a good book by writing an essay on it. So I didn’t do it.

You should have seen her this morning,′ he said, smiling. ‘She’s got into the pantry and tipped a box of Cheerios all over the kitchen floor. I walk in and she’s crawling around eating them as fast as she can. Mum’s standing there, watching her – she got this embarrassed look when she saw me – she does, ‘I know, I know, but I can’t bring myself to stop her. She thinks she’s hit the jackpot.

If you’re looking pretty and your hair’s all shiny, and there’s a glint in your eye, and you say sorry like you mean it, and then kiss me on the mouth and let your hand kind of slip under my shirt so it’s on my back, well, I’d sure forgive and forget.

People always tell me I shouldn’t run so far because I’m too young and my bones will fall to pieces. But I do it anyway-mainly because I love the bit when you finish and get to stop running.

Popular self-help teaches you to ask for help, accept help, set boundaries, say no. So you ask for help and the person you ask politely refuses. Because he or she has learned to set boundaries and say no.

Sure, we sparkled and glittered and flew through the world, but it was only an illusion of flight. We were trapped in the orbit of a man who was no longer truly there.

Well, this might sound stupid but I think he was my best friend. Like the other half of me. I’m so scared something might have happened to him when he went back. I miss him so much sometimes I look at windows and I want to just walk right through them – like press myself through the glass. I want their sharp edges to fragment me.

Madeleine Tully turned fourteen yesterday, but today she did not turn anything. Oh, wait. She turned a page.

If you’re bored tonight why don’t you write down everything that comes to mind when you hear the word toothpaste?