Barbara Park Quotes

I don't really believe in pretending to be happy when you're not. Mostly I believe that you should burden your friends with your problems.

I happen to think that a book is of extraordinary value if it gives the reader nothing more than a smile or two. It's perfectly okay to take a book, read it, have a good time, giggle and laugh - and turn off the TV. I love that.

I was a good kid, but I was just very chatty. Teachers were rarely entertained, but occasionally a child was, which was enough for me. Everything was so urgent. I needed to say it immediately.

When you're in between dreams, you get to lean back and relax and stop trying so hard. Trying to be somebody, I mean. It's not as exciting as being a television star, but it's not that bad, either. You just have to learn to be satisfied with the way you are for a while. Not Forever. Just until you're finished resting.

I find that when I'm struggling to think of how a six-year-old would feel about something, I just have to go right down to the common denominator, find the simplest way that you can look at an object or a problem, and not muck it up with all of the stuff that adults do and over-analyze.

There are many reluctant young readers who haven't yet found books that make them laugh.

Yeah, but what does that even mean ... heaven? Because see, I need to be able to put him somewhere, Zo. In my head, I mean. I need to be able to close my eyes and picture him and know he's okay. And just saying the word heaven doesn't help that much. Because like what is heaven, exactly? And where is it? And what do you do there?

Sometimes grown ups don't act their right old age

For 20 years I've gotten to laugh my way through my work. For me, that's a dream job.

The upside to grief is it takes away your appetite. When people say you look good they really mean it. Nature's thoughtful that way.

And sometimes when you're very mixed-up inside, you do things you know you shouldn't do.

I like to think that Junie B. looks at the world - and this isn't a negative comment on her - from the lowest common denominator. It's not all gray to her; it's all black and white.

My senior year of high school, I was voted 'Wittiest.' So, several years later, I decided to try my hand at writing humor to see if I could be witty enough to make some money.

They really liked each other, too. Not like boyfriend and girlfriend, I don't mean. But they both had naturally curly hair, and they both thought professional wrestling was real
which are two pretty strong bonds, when you think about it.

What happened at school, she said.

Of all the novels I've written, my favorite is 'Mick Harte Was Here'.

Moving makes you feel all alone inside.

Then Mrs. confiscated my shiny glitter jar. Confiscate is the school word for yanked it right out of my hand.

A stick or a stone only stings for a minute. A name seems to hurt forever.

I'm not actually sure I'm grown-up enough for grown-up books.

Sometimes I think he's the kind of friend that grownups call a 'fair-weather friend.' That means when everything's going smoothly, he's the best friend a guy could want. But as soon as something goes wrong…(he) sort of turns on you.

Can't we be friends?' I hate your guts, Frankovitch' Can't our guts be friends?

I've stopped reading about my books on the Internet because it's too hurtful.