I looked at the stained-glass image of the lamb in the window above me, but that only reminded me that lambs are famous for being led to slaughter, or sometimes hanging out with lions in ill-advised relationships. Maureen Johnson More Quotes by Maureen Johnson More Quotes From Maureen Johnson Welsh is an actual, currently used language and our next-door neighbors Angela and Gaenor spoke it. It sounds like Wizard. Maureen Johnson wizardsnextdoors Can I tell you something you really don't want to hear? He's going to break up with you. - Stuart Maureen Johnson breakwant Some nutter's gone and pulled a Jack the Ripper. Maureen Johnson jack-the-rippergone You'd been petting a stuffed dog?' she said 'A dead one?' 'It was a really well stuffed dog' I clarified. 'I have seen some bad taxidermy. This was top-notch work. It would have fooled anyone. Maureen Johnson taxidermydogsaid Sometimes people graduate but they don't leave. They hang around for years, for no reason. I would think of ghosts like that, I decided. Maureen Johnson peopleyearsthinking Although it was very cold, he wore no coat. I think some English people think coats are for the weak. Maureen Johnson coatspeoplethinking English rain feels obligatory, like paperwork. It dampens already damn days and slicks the stones. Maureen Johnson slickstonesrain I may have been a complete lunatic, but I was a complete lunatic with manners. Maureen Johnson lunaticmaymanners Kissing is something that makes up for a lot of other crap you have to put up with...It can be confusing and weird and awkward, but sometimes it just makes you melt and forget everything that is going on. Maureen Johnson forget-everythingawkwardkissing But we made our own fun, mostly. I recall a time, many years later, when American children seemed unable to amuse themselves without a fortune in electrical and electronic equipment. We had no fancy equipment and did not miss it. Maureen Johnson funchildrenyears Having your back scratched is not the only reason to be married, but it is a good one, especially for those spots that are so hard to reach by yourself. Maureen Johnson marriedspotsreason Harry Potter achieved a very special act of actual magic: it made it completely acceptable for an adult to carry around, read and enjoy a childrens book. Maureen Johnson magicspecialbook You've never told me about your love life, Scarlett. You're a very pretty girl. You must have a boy shacked up somewhere for your personal delights. I'd bet it's a booky one, overtones of Harry Potter and a lot of black T-shirts. Maureen Johnson love-lifegirlboys My rule is: the second you find yourself doing something you hate, quit doing it. Maureen Johnson finding-yourselfquittinghate The kids I talk to are readers, and the craziest, the most dedicated readers you will ever see. Maureen Johnson dedicatedreaderkids I've heard people on panels say, 'You must have a Web site. You need to tweet. Repeat the title of your book constantly,' and I just want to say, 'Shut up. Everything you're saying is wrong.' People will know instantly if your only motivation for tweeting is to sell books. Maureen Johnson motivationbookpeople Life is always going to be a series of ouch-making moments, and the question was, was I going to go all fetal position, or was I going to woman up? I went into fetal position on the bed to think about this. Fetal position turned out to be very comfortable. Maureen Johnson empathybedthinking Oh, the ongoing love affair between hair and mouths. Hair always goes for the mouth. The mouth opens, and hair says, "I'm going in! I'm going in!" like a manic cave diver. Maureen Johnson ongoingcaveshair This is England," he explained. "Tell someone it's a procedure, and they'll believe you. The pointless procedure is one of our great natural resources. Maureen Johnson englandnaturalbelieve I knew it was beautiful, but knowing something is beautiful and caring about it are two very different things, and I didn't care. Maureen Johnson caringbeautifultwo