“The snow drifts into our zombie mouths crawling with grease and curses and tobacco flakes and cavities and boyfriend/girlfriend juice, the stain of lies. For one moment we are bot failed tests and broken condoms and cheating on essays; we are crayons and lunch boxes and swinging so high our sneakers punch holes in the clouds. For one breath everything feels better.” KidsGrowing UpTeenagersEating DisordersZombies Book:Wintergirls Source: Wintergirls
“We've fallen down on our responsibility to our children by somehow creating this world where they're surrounded by images of sexuality; and yet, we as adults struggle to talk to kids honestly about sex, the rules of dignity and consent.” WorldChildrenKidsSexResponsibilityStruggleThis WorldCreatingAdultsDignityOur ChildrenSexualityHonestlyFallenConsent Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
“I've written in every imaginable location; a repurposed closet, the kitchen table, the bleachers while my kids had basketball practice, the front seat of the car when they were at soccer. In airports. On trains. In the break room when I was supposed to be wolfing down dinner. In the back of classrooms when I was supposed to be paying attention.” KidsRoomsAttentionBreakPracticeWrittenCarFrontsBasketballTablesTrainDinnerSupposed To BeSoccerPay AttentionKitchenSeatsClassroomLocationClosetsAirportsKitchen TableBleachers Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
“We're good at taking care of little kids, and spend a lot of energy teaching them things like how to read. But when kids get as tall as their parents and can look them in the eyes, we tend to drop the ball - at a time they most need a loving consistent community of adults, be it parents, aunts, uncles, or others.” NeedsLooksLittlesEyeCareKidsEnergyParentCommunityTeachingAdultsBallsConsistentTallUnclesLittle KidAunt Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
“A little kid asks my dad why that man is chopping down the tree. Dad: He's not chopping it down. He's saving it. Those branches were long dead from disease. All plants are like that. By cutting off the damage you make it possible for the tree to grow again. You watch - by the end of summer, this tree will be the strongest on the block.” MenLittlesLongEndsKidsAsksSpeakGrowsWatchesCuttingTreeDadDiseaseSummerPlantMy DadBlockSavingDamageBranchesStrongestLittle KidChoppingEnd Of SummerCutting Off Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
“Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them” WorldChildrenDoeBookKidsFatherDifficultDealsDarknessIssuesIgnoranceProtectOppositesOur ChildrenVulnerableCensorshipCensoringCensoring Books Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
“There is something about Christmas that requires a rug rat. Little kids make Christmas fun. I wonder if could rent one for the holidays.” IfsLittlesKidsFunWonderHolidayRatsLittle KidChristmas Magic Book:Speak Source: Speak
“There is something about Christmas that requires a rug rat. Little kids make Christmas fun. I wonder if could rent one for the holidays. When I was tiny we would by a real tree and stay up late drinking hot chocolate and finding just the right place for the special decorations. It seems like my parents gave up the magic when I figured out the Santa lie. Maybe I shouldn't have told them I knew where the presents really came from. It broke their hearts.” IfsHeartLittlesRealSeemsKidsLyingFunParentWonderMagicTreeSpecialFindingsLateHotDrinkingTinyChristmasBrokeHolidayChocolateRatsLittle KidSantaRight PlaceGave UpDecorationChristmas MagicHot Chocolate Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
“They're on their way to the foreign-language wing. That's no surprise. The foreign kids are always here, like they need to breathe air scented with their native language a couple times a day or they'll choke to death on too much American.” WayNeedsKidsLanguageToo MuchAirCoupleWingsSurpriseBreatheNativeChokeForeign LanguageNative Language Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
“I watch some kids ask the cafeteria ladies to sign their books. What do they write: "Hope your chicken patties never bleed?" Or, maybe, "May your Jell-O always wiggle?” WritingMayBookKidsAsksWatchesChickensCafeteria Book:Speak Source: Speak
“I wish adults would spend less energy freaking out about the cutting itself and work harder to understand what drives kids to self-harm.” SelfKidsEnergyWishCuttingHard WorkAdultsHarderHarmWork HarderSelf HarmFreaking Out Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
