Quotes from Louise Fitzhugh

Good manners are very important, particularly in the morning.

Harriet never minded admitting she didn't know something. So what, she thought, I could always learn.

You know what? You're an individual, and that makes people nervous. And it's gonna keep making people nervous for the rest of your life.

Life is a struggle and a good spy gets in there and fights.

Writing is to put love into the world.

I'M GLAD I'M NOT PERFECT—I'D BE BORED TO DEATH.

I'm going to take you somewhere. It's time you began to see the world. You're eleven years old and it's time you saw something.

Shy people are angry people

Why am I a loser? She sat very still. Because it pleases my father.

She would always say that people who try to control people and change people's habits are the ones that make all the trouble. If you don't like somebody, walk away, she said, but don't try and make them like you. ---Harriet, on what Ole Golly says

Turning on the shower, he thought of the wildly fancy bathroom at Charlotte's house. It was funny to think of, but the bathrooms he liked weren't fancy; this one, and the one at Seymour's, and the one at Harry's. They weren't fancy, but they were home. He got in the shower. The one squirt that always went haywire hit him right in the eye. He laughed up into the warm water running over his ears.

No, you have to look like everyone else, then you'll get by and no one will suspect you.

It feels ... as though doors were opening all over the world... It's bigger, somehow, the world.

People who try to control people and change people's habits are the ones that make all the trouble. If you don't like somebody, walk away... But don't try and make them like you.

Miss Elson came into the room and they all stood up and said, "Good morning, Miss Elson." Miss Elson bowed and said, "Good morning, children." Then they all sat down and punched each other.

Some people are one way and some people are another and that's that.

Her fingers itched at the thought of a notebook, of a pen flying over the pages, of her thoughts, finally free to move, flowing out.

JANIE GETS STRANGER EVERY YEAR.

I FEEL ALL THE SAME THINGS WHEN I DO THINGS ALONE AS WHEN OLE GOLLY WAS HERE. THE BATH FEELS HOT, THE BED FEELS SOFT, BUT I FEEL THERE'S A FUNNY LITTLE HOLE IN ME THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE, LIKE A SPLINTER IN YOUR FINGER, BUT THIS IS SOMEWHERE ABOVE MY STOMACH.

WHEN I GROW UP I'M GOING TO FIND OUT EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYBODY AND PUT IT ALL IN A BOOK. THE BOOK IS GOING TO BE CALLED SECRETS BY HARRIET M. WELSCH. I WILL ALSO HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS IN IT AND MAYBE SOME MEDICAL CHARTS IF I CAN GET THEM.

She never minded admitting she didn't know something. So what, she thought; I could always learn.

Always say exactly what you feel. People are hurt more by misunderstanding than anything else.

I want to know everything, everything, screeched Harriet suddenly, lying back and bouncing up and down on the bed. Everything in the world, everything, everything. I will be a spy and know everything. It won't do you a bit of good to know everything if you don't do anything with it.

Harriet never minded admitting when she didn't know something. 'So what,' she thought, 'I can always learn.