Quotes from Barbara O'Connor

Sometimes the trail you leave behind you is more important than the path ahead of you.

Well, you know, life marches on. And sometimes we have to join the parade whether we want to or not.

Put the baby on the paper.

On the line beside Describe your family, I wrote, "Bad." What is your favorite subject in school? "None." List three of your favorite activities. "Soccer, ballet, and fighting." Two of those favorite activities were lies but one of them was the truth. I am fond of fighting.

And then she got a bad, bad feeling because she realized she had been wrong. You can fool a person. You can fool a dog. You can fool a cat or a horse or a teacher or a friend. But you cannot ever fool a heart.

You'd think that a redheaded boy with glasses who was named Howard and had an up-down walk would have a lot more to wish for than being friends with me. But I admit I felt a smile on my face and hope in my heart, 'cause maybe wishes really do come true. Maybe some wishes just take longer than others.

Sometimes, the more you stir it, the worse it stinks.

If you cut off the pointed end of a slice of pie and save it for last, you can make a wish when you eat it.

Bertha knelt in front of me and took both my hands in hers and said, "Your mama loves you very much, Charlie. But sometimes, she just loses her way." Loses her way? I'd be happy to draw her a map to show her the way back to being my mama again.

That night when I went to bed, I laid there in the dark and pictured a clothesline full of somebody's else's troubles. I knew for sure there were a lot of them I'd rather pluck off of that line than mine. I imagined what the other troubles might be. There would probably be toothaches and failed math tests. Lost cats and ugly hair. Cheating boyfriends and broken-down cars. But none of those could hold a candle to my troubles, weighing down that clothesline like a sack full of bricks.

You can't judge people for the mistakes they make. You judge them for how they fix those mistakes.

When it was time for me to leave, I thanked Mrs. Odom, climbed on Lenny's bike, and set off for home. As I pedaled up the road, I turned and glanced back at the Odoms' house. I remembered that first day on the school bus when I had seen it and thought it was so sad-looking. Then I pictured all those boys in that little kitchen getting loved on by their mama and that house didn't look one bit sad anymore.

Carla, Carla, Carla. It's always about Carla.

I'm so glad to have a feisty female around here to help me keep these boys under control. I been needing a girl on my team.

I wanted to take his leash off and let him run free, but I was scared to. What if he decided he'd had enough of me and ran off to be a stray again?

You sure do look forlorn,

I pictured my clothesline full of troubles and saw myself pinning on another one.

I wished I could take those words back. Gather them up like butterflies in a net.

With a little luck you can get what you wish for

worry hung over Rose like a thundercloud.

Thankful. I felt thankful that I had my very own dog who would love me no matter what.

and you and I are on our own. No magic wand is gonna fix things." I didn't want to believe that, so I pushed those words away so I wouldn't have to think about them. Then I said, "Did

I glanced at the lunch boxes under the desks around me and wondered if there were any squirrel sandwiches in them.

I have a list of all the ways there are to make a wish, like seeing a white horse or blowing a dandelion. Looking at a clock at exactly 11:11 is on my list.