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Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant Books

Author

Cynthia Rylant is an American author known for her children's literature. Born on June 6, 1954, she has been publishing books since the early 1980s that have been beloved by children. Rylant's writing style is unique and lyrical, winning her much acclaim.

Scholastic Newbery Collection

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In November

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Missing May

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A Fine White Dust

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Related Quotes

“I know I must have been loved like that, even if I can’t remember it. I must have; otherwise, how could I even recognize love when I saw it that night between Ob and May? Before she died, I know my mother must have loved to comb my shiny hair and rub that Johnson’s baby lotion up and down my arms and wrap me up and hold and hold me all night long. She must have known she wasn’t going to live and she must have held me longer than any other mother might, so I’d have enough love in me to know what love was when I saw it or felt it again.”

Love Loss Family

Book:Missing May

Source: Missing May

“We wanted a family so bad, all of us. And we just grabbed each another and made us one. Simple as that.”

Love Family Need

Book:Missing May

Source: Missing May

“Rain could show up at your door and teach you how to dance.”

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“Every person is able to add beauty, whether by growing flowers, or singing, or cooking luscious meals, or raising sweet pets. Every part of life can be art.”

Persons Art Able Beauty Growing Sweet Flower Singing Art Is Cooking Add Meals Pet Parts Of Life

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“I am so grateful to be a writer. I hope every child grows up and finds something to do that will seem important and that will seem precious. Happy living and, especially, happy playing.”

Children Important Seems Grows Growing Up Grateful So Grateful

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“I want to do something important in my life, and I think that adding beauty to the world with books... really is important.”

Thinking World Want Important Book Importance

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“I love being a writer because I want to leave something here on earth to make it better, prettier, stronger.”

Want Earth Love Is Stronger

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“In November, the smell of food is different. It is an orange smell. A squash and pumpkin smell. It tastes like cinnamon and can fill up a house in the morning, can pull everyone from bed in a fog. Food is better in November than any other time of the year.”

Years Different House Morning Taste Bed Smell Orange Fog November Pumpkin Squash Cinnamon

Book:In November

Source: In November

“In November, the trees are standing all sticks and bones. Without their leaves, how lovely they are, spreading their arms like dancers. They know it is time to be still.”

Knows Stills Tree Arms Standing Sticks Bones Lovely Dancer November

Book:In November

Source: In November

“That's got to be at least one of the benefits of heaven - never having to act normal again.”

Heaven Normal Benefits

Book:Scholastic Newbery Collection

Source: Scholastic Newbery Collection

“A lot of people think they can write poetry, and many do, because they can figure out how to line up the words or make certain sounds rhyme or just imitate the other poets they've read. But this boy, he's the real poet, because when he tries to put on paper what he's seen with his heart, he will believe deep down that there are no good words for it, no words can do it, and at that moment he will have begun to write poetry.”

People Thinking Writing Trying Believe Heart Real Moments Certain Sound Can Do Lines Boys Figures Poet Paper That Moment Rhyme Deep Down Good Words

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“Writing stories has given me the power to change things I could not change as a child. I can make boys into doctors. I can make fathers stop drinking. I can make mothers stay.”

Writing Children I Can Stories Mother Father Given Boys Doctors Drinking Power To Change Writing Stories Stop Drinking

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“[May] understood people and she let them be whatever way they needed to be. She had faith in every single person she ever met, and this never failed her, for nobody ever disappointed May. Seems people knew she saw the very best of them, and they'd turn that side to her to give her a better look.”

People Way Giving Looks May Persons Seems Turns Sides Saws Needed Mets Understood Disappointed Single Person

Book:Scholastic Newbery Collection

Source: Scholastic Newbery Collection

“But I know now that you can't expect anything from anybody. If somebody loves you, it's because he wants to. And it's never because it's what he's supposed to do." —Pete Cassidy”

Ifs Knows Want Love You

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“And, finally, I know, too. That throwing away this mess doesn't mean I'm giving something up. Or losing something I can't get back. It's just that there are too many pieces and too much dust. I'm just ready for something whole." —Pete Cassidy”

Knows Giving Mean I Can Whole Too Much Pieces Ready Losing Dust Mess Get Back Throwing Throwing Away

Book:A Fine White Dust

Source: A Fine White Dust

“It is when we are most lost that we sometimes find our truest friends.”

Sometimes Lost Friendship Inspiring Novelists Truest Children's Books Finding Someone True Best Friend

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“When the wicked want to bring down the innocent, they aim for a loving heart.”

Want Heart Aim Innocent Wicked

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“But those with an evil heart seem to have a talent for destroying anything beautiful which is about to bloom.”

Heart Seems Beautiful Evil Talent Destroying

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“But what is it that makes a person want to stay here on this earth anyway, and go on suffering the most awful pain just for the sake of getting to stay? I used to think it was because people fear death. But now I think it is because people can't bear saying goodbye.”

People Thinking Want Persons Earth Pain Used Suffering Goes On Bears Sake Awful Goodbye Fear Of Death Saying Goodbye

Book:Scholastic Newbery Collection

Source: Scholastic Newbery Collection

“God turns clouds inside out to make fluffy beds for the dogs in Dog Heaven, and when they are tired from running and barking and eating ham-sandwich biscuits, the dogs find a cloud bed for sleeping. God watches over each one of them. And there are no bad dreams.”

Dream Running Turns Heaven Religious Sleep Watches Dog Bed Eating Tired Clouds Sandwiches Ham Biscuits Fluffy Bad Dream Dog Heaven Heaven And Dogs

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“It is odd how we sometimes deny ourselves the very pleasure we have longed for and which is finally within our reach.”

Sometimes Pleasure Deny Odd

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“They say that to be a writer you must first have an unhappy childhood. I don't know if unhappiness is necessary, but I think maybe some children who have suffered a loss too great for words grow up into writers who are always trying to find those words, trying to find a meaning for the way they have lived”

Ifs Thinking Knows Way Trying Firsts Children Grows Loss Growing Up Childhood Unhappy Unhappiness Always Trying Unhappy Childhood

Author:Cynthia Rylant

“I learned to write from authors. I didn't know any, but I read their books.”

Knows Writing Book

Author:Cynthia Rylant

About the Author

Born: June 6, 1954
Known for: Author
Quotes: 23

Related Topics

Knows Want Thinking Children Heart People Persons Seems Writing Bed

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Scholastic Newbery CollectionRelated source material

In NovemberRelated source material

Missing MayRelated source material

A Fine White DustRelated source material

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