Each time I read a book, I cataloged the parts that struck me dumb with envy and admiration for their beauty and power and truth.

Jack Gantos

Categorized in : Book Dumb Envy

Someone once said anyone can be great under rosy circumstances, but the true test of character is measured by how well a person makes decisions during difficult times.

tests decision character

I want you to take a sleeve of Thin Mints and line them up on the edge of the kitchen counter and when I'm hungry I can just bend over and sweep a cookie into my mouth like I'm scoring a goal in hockey.

hockey kitchen goal

You gotta face the hand you're dealt with and deal with it, and make your problems be the smallest part of who you are.

problem faces hands

It's like when you read a book and you know that the words are important, but the images blossoming in your imagination are even more important because it's your mind that allows the words to come to life.

imagination mind book

Since I was trying so hard to make books lead my life, I didn’t want to read them and then just put them back on the shelf and say, “good book,” as if I was patting a good dog. I wanted books to change me, and I wanted to write books that would change others.

dog writing book

Don't ever forget your history," she sang, "or any wicked soul ca... by Jack Gantos

Don't ever forget your history," she sang, "or any wicked soul can lie to you and get away with it.

wicked soul lying

You know, Joey, the medication has helped settle you down, but you have been a good kid all along. You are naturally good. I hope you know that about yourself. You have a good heart.

settling heart kids

If you have an orderly mind, you'll be a winner no matter where you end up. If your mind is a jumble of junk, you'll be a loser. It's as simple as that.

junk simple mind

It wasn't that I hated being asked a bunch of questions. I had nothing against questions. I just didn't like listening to them, because some questions take forever to make sense. Sometimes waiting for a question to finish is like watching someone draw an elephant starting with the tail first. As soon as you see the tail your mind wanders all over the place and you think of a million other animals that also have tails until you don't care about the elephant because it's only one thing when you've been thinking about a million others.

elephants animal thinking

You can't do anything for a person who is stuck between being happy and being miserable. All you can do is get trapped in the middle, and anyone in the middle just gets squished.' -Grandma

middle miserable grandma

Don't ever go to war. Even if you win, the battle is never over i... by Jack Gantos

Don't ever go to war. Even if you win, the battle is never over inside you.

battle winning war

When Patti Fox broke up with me, I typed her name over a thousand times on my manual Olivetti until the entire page was beaten into a stiff sheet of black ink.

ink black names

...who proved that you don't have to do what your parents want, or what your boyfriend wants, for you to be happy. You just have to be yourself, for there is no love greater than self love

being-yourself self-love parent

Because each book has its own special perfume. by Jack Gantos

Because each book has its own special perfume.

perfume special book

I do know that there is no reason for me to drown myself from sorrow since I haven't yet tried to achieve anything great.

great myself know me