Quotes from Ann M. Martin

Later, Mom found the pictures of Mimi. We compared pictures of Mimi at twelve to pictures of me at twelve. We could have been twins. That night, I slept with one of the pictures of Mimi under my pillow.

Best friends have to talk a lot.

At this point I was just hoping he wasn't going to be scarred for life.

I have usually found that, in life, good things are followed by bad things. One day you get an A-plus on a spelling test, the next time around you get a C (or worse). A run of good luck is followed by a run of bad luck. Good news is followed by bad news.

Neither Hubert, Melissa, nor Cutesy can come to the phone now.

I love Mary Anne dearly, but she was no help. She still thinks you score touchdowns in baseball.)

There are going to be some things in life that you can't change.

crayons and things. The kids we sit for go wild when we bring them on

I mean, Jessi's my best friend. I'll just die if she moves away.

Sometimes when my friends leave after a club meeting, I feel a little let down. Suddenly my room is quiet again and it's funny, but that's when I miss Stacey the most. Knowing that my only best friend is all the way in New York City makes me feel bad, but just for a few moments. Then I remember that Mimi is home and I can run downstairs and help her fix dinner.

No wicked stepfamilies here!

It's awfully hard helping your parents grow up. But it has to be done.

Myriah and Gabbie are really great kids. This is the truth. I knew it from the very first time I baby-sat for them. They adore Laura, their baby sister, they love to sing and dance, and they're very imaginative. Most kids just play house. You should see the games they invent.

When two people are having problems, it's hard to tell who has changed.

You must be Corrie," I said to the little girl standing on our front steps. She nodded shyly. Corrie was very pretty, with brownish-blonde hair cut straight across her forehead in bangs, and straight around her shoulders below. Her eyes were framed by long, dark lashes. She was small for her age and had no color at all in her cheeks.

Clothes. They've always been very important to me. Maybe that's also a part of being a city kid: in New York, I think even little children are aware of style.

Emily, I decided, was the best Mother's Day present ever.

not sure what to do about her "date." Then she simply pulled a name out of the air. "With Winston Churchill," she replied, taking the chance that Liz wouldn't know who he was. Apparently she didn't. "Yeah, he goes to high school," continued Kristy nonchalantly, getting into her story. "A sophomore. Football player … Me? I'm in seventh…. Yeah, I know.

Myriah and Gabbie jumped up from the table. We know White Christmas, said Myriah. And I'll Be Home for Christmas. Claudia was surprised. They did? What about the simple songs like Jingle Bells or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? But the Perkins girls know a lot of long, grown-up songs, and sure enough they knew both of these word for word. They performed them with hand motions and everything.

And now, Myriah went on, as if she and Gabbie were putting on a show. We will perform that oldy but goody, Blue Suede Shoes by Mr. Elvis Presley. Claudia was even more impressed. Apparently, Myriah and Gabbie knew an entire rock and roll song and she didn't. Furthermore, for years, Claudia had thought that the singer's name was Elbow Presley.

Please get better, Danielle.

This, I thought, must be full of pictures of me. But it wasn't. Not exactly. It was full of pictures of Janine and me.

Cat-food breath or not, I was thrilled to have Tigger back - and Logan, too.

If, for whatever wild reason, I ever wind up as a celebrity, don't let Mary Anne near me.