The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help.

Books transmit values. They explore our common humanity. What is the message when some children are not represented in those books?

When I began to read, I began to exist

Cutting people out of your life is easy, keeping them in is hard.

We need to tell young people that America was built by men and women of all colors and that the future of this country is dependent on the participation of all of our citizens.

Reading is not optional.

I'll never live to write all the stories I have in my head.

We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional.

Think about all the tomorrows of your life.

We all know we should eat right and we should exercise, but reading is treated as if it's this wonderful adjunct.

It's a hard life sometimes and the biggest temptation is to let how hard it is be an excuse to weaken

If I cut you off, chances are that you gave me enough reasons to do it.

Money is a necessity, but not the determinant of a successful life. It is there to secure you, but not to save you! It is there to support you, but not to sanctify you!

I’ll always love you, no matter what happens, okay?

Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim.

I think that we're all always just working on finding how that balance functions for us, given today's circumstances.

When you plant early, you bring spring early.

The man, the writer, the instrument of the creation will die, but his creation does not die.

In the first place, [his eyes] never laughed when he laughed. Have you ever noticed this peculiarity some people have? It is either the sign of an evil nature or of a profound and lasting sorrow.

I like to say there's certain things you can't take back: One of them is 'I love you,' and one of them is bullets.

I had things with numbers - because I love numbers - but it's not something I'm proud of. I'm proud that I was able to send them away, because you're much more present.