R.J. Palacio Quotes

One of the reasons I grew my hair long last year was that I like how my bangs cover my eyes: it helps me block out the things I don't want to see.
-August thinking

Hope is like the Sun. When it's behind the clouds, it's not gone. You just have to find it!
- Matthew, Age 11, Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey, March 21

I do not like to dwell on the past. Life is ahead of us. If we spend too much time looking backward, we can't see where we are going!

The best way to measure how much you've grown isn't by inches or the number of laps you can now run around the track, or even your grade point average
though those things are important, to be sure. It's what you've done with your time, how you've chosen to spend your days, and whom you've touched this year. That, to me, is the greatest measure of success.

I never used to see August the way other people saw him. I knew he didn't look exactly normal, but I really didn't understand why strangers seemed so shocked when they saw him. Horrified. Sickened. Scared. There are so many words I can use to describe the looks on people's faces. And for a long time I didn't get it. I'd just get mad. Mad when they stared. Mad when they looked away. "What the heck are you looking at?" I'd say to people - even grown-ups. Then, when I was about eleven, I went to stay with Grans in Montauk for four weeks while August was having

Your deeds are like your monuments. Built with memories instead of stone.

While she was saying this, I was thinking, We just finished the freakin' Egypt project, now we have to start a whole new thing? And then in my head I was going, Oh noooooo! like that kid in Home Alone with his mouth hanging open and his hands on his face. That was the face I was making on the inside. And then I thought of those pictures of melting ghost faces I've seen somewhere, where the mouths are open wide and they're screaming.

Are you always going to look this way, August? I mean, can't you get plastic surgery or something?"

I smiled and pointed to my face. "Hello?" This is after plastic surgery.

Jack clapped his hand over his forehead and started laughing hysterically.

"Dude, you should sue your doctor!" he answered between giggles.

Olivia reminds me of a bird sometimes, how her feathers get all ruffled when she's mad. and when she's fragile like this, she's a little lost bird looking for its nest.

Like breathing and swallowing, crying comes automatically to most kids, too.

Such a simple thing, kindness. Such a simple thing. A nice word of encouragement, given when needed. An act of friendship. A passing smile.

when I was about eleven, I went to stay with Grans in Montauk for four weeks while August was having his big jaw surgery.

Hey, I'm an upstander - not a bystander!

The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they've died. They're like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honor the pharaohs. Only instead of being made of stone, they're made out of the memories people have of you.

Don't judge a boy by its cover!

To thine own self be true.

No, no, it's not all random, if it really was all random, the universe would abandon us completely. and the universe doesn't. it takes care of its most fragile creations in ways we can't see. like with parents who adore you blindly. and a big sister who feels guilty for being human over you. and a little gravelly-voiced kid whose friends have left him over you. and even a pink-haired girl who carries your picture in her wallet. maybe it is a lottery, but the universe makes it all even out in the end. the universe takes care of all its birds.

Sometimes we hate the things we're afraid of.

There are so many words I can use to describe the looks on people's faces. And for a long time I didn't get it. I'd just get mad. Mad when they stared. Mad when they looked away. "What the heck are you looking at?" I'd say to people - even grown-ups.

There's a word like overprotective to describe some parents, but no word that means the opposite. What word do you use to describe parents who don't protect enough? Underprotective? Neglectful? Self-involved? Lame? All of the above.

But realizing that Ximena Chin, under her layers and layers and layers of snarkiness and mischief, could actually be kind of sweet. When she wasn't being kind of mean.

Now that I look back, I don't know why I was so stressed about it all this time. Funny how sometimes you worry a lot about something and it turns out to be nothing.

But hey, if they want to give me a medal for being me, that's okay. I'll take it.

Actually, I prefer not to even try to imagine it. I

The galaxy is changing. Planets are falling out of alignment.

His eyes are about an inch below where they should be on his face, almost to halfway down his cheeks.

I'll meet you outside. I rushed to

When he told me this.

The first look I got of August, well, it made me want to cover my eyes and run away screaming.

They would sneak peeks at me from behind their notebooks or when they thought I wasn't looking. They would take the longest way around me to avoid bumping into me in any way, like I had some germ they could catch, like my face was contagious.

It's not up to God to make it end, Pastor. Evil will only be stopped when good people decide to put an end to it. It is our fight, not God's." -Vivienne

Being nice is the first step toward being kind. It's a pretty awesome start.

Clean up after yourselves. Be kind to nature and it will be kind to you. We

When something scary like this happens, it acts like a wake-up call, you know? It makes us reassess what's important in life. Our family. Our friends. The people we love.

On the other hand, I'm really excited.

My birthday is October 10. I like my birthday: 10/10. It would've been great if I'd been born at exactly 10:10 in the morning or at night, but I wasn't. I was born just after midnight. But I still thinking my birthday is cool.

Here Mr. Tushman looked up at the audience. "Kinder than is necessary," he repeated. "What a marvelous line, isn't it? Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed. Why I love that line, that concept, is that it reminds me that we carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness. And what does that mean? How is that measured? You can't use a yardstick. It's like I was saying just before: it's not like measuring how much you've grown in a year. It's not exactly quantifiable, is it? How do we know we've been kind? What is being kind, anyway?

But the good thing about life is that we can fix our mistakes sometimes. We learn from them. We get better.

Time make everything easier to bear.

Jack, sometimes you don't have to be mean to hurt someone.

There are always going to be jerks in the world, Auggie," she said, looking at me. "But I really believe, and Daddy really believes, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other. Just

It is always brave to be kind.

Hey hey, I know!" said Dad excitedly. "Let's fix them up on a blind date! Can you imagine? Miss Butt, meet Mr. Tushman. Mr. Tushman, here's Miss Butt. They could get married and have a bunch of little Tushies.

By the way, I love your precept. I agree, sometimes it's good to start over. A fresh start gives us the chance to reflect on the past, weigh the things we've done, and apply what we've learned from those things to the future. If we don't examine the past, we don't learn from it.

You can't blend in when you were born to stand out.

AUGUST PULLMAN'S PRECEPT
Everyone deserves a standing ovation because we all overcometh the world.
Auggie

Sometimes I think my head is so big because it is so full of dreams

I've learned that life is like a book. Sometimes we must close a chapter and begin the next one.
- Hanz, Age 13, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, December 8

Daisy was sleeping in heaven right then. And

Every person's story weaves in and out of someone else's story.

It was only then that I realized that poor Ms. Rubin's blouse and skirt were completely covered in my blood.

Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness.

Maybe it is a lottery, but the universe makes it all even out in the end. The universe takes care of its birds.

In fact, no one seemed to care about what happened to him in the least,

Form a mothers' group. A mothers' group is when a bunch of moms

He cleared his throat and read from the book: " 'It was at moments such as these that Joseph recognized the face of God in human form. It glimmered in their kindness to him, it glowed in their keenness, it hinted in their caring, indeed it caressed in their gaze.' " He paused and took off his reading glasses again. "It glimmered in their kindness to him," he repeated, smiling. "Such a simple thing, kindness. Such a simple thing. A nice word of encouragement given when needed. An act of friendship. A passing smile." He

mixing friends can be a weird thing even under the best circumstances.

No, no, it's not all random, if it was really random, the universe would abandon us completely, and the universe doesn't. It takes care of its most fragile creations in ways we can't see.

MR. BROWNE'S SEPTEMBER PRECEPT:
WHEN GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN BEING
RIGHT OR BEING KIND, CHOOSE KIND.

Everyone should always have a standing ovation at least once in their life.

Don't try too hard to be cool. It always shows, and that's uncool.
-Amos Conti

Just follow the day and reach for the sun!

It is always brave to be kind, but in those days, such kindnesses could cost you your life.
Julian's Chapter

Via had warned me about lunch in middle school, so I guess I should have known it would be hard.

sometimes he would wake up choking on his own saliva if he accidentally turned over on his back.

You are a wonder.

Its not a contest about whose days suck the most. The point is we all have to put up with the bad days.

My hope is, as we start sixth grade, as we get older and wiser, that we all learn to trust each other enough so that we can truly be ourselves, and accept each other for who we really are. Thank you. How I Finally Introduced Myself I

Here's what I think: the only reason I'm not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.

No, it's okay," I said. "Let's just go

You don't need your eyes to love right? You just feel it inside you

If you want to be a star, you have to be willing to work harder than everyone else to achieve your goals and dreams! The way I see it, a dream is like a drawing in your head that comes to life. You have to imagine it first. Then you have to work extremely hard to make it come true. So,

Are you really going to let a couple of stupid kids keep you from going back to school? I know you've been enjoying it. Don't give them that power over yot. Don't give them the satisfaction.

We should be remembered for the things we do. The things we do are the most important things of all. They are more important than what we say or what we look like. The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honour heroes after they've died. They're like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honour the Pharaohs. Only instead of being made out of stone, they're made out of the memories people have of you. That's why your deeds are like your monuments. Built with memories instead of with stone.

It's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed. Why I love that line, that concept, is that it reminds me that we carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness.
And what does that mean? How is that measured? You can't use a yardstick. It's like I was saying just before: it's not like measuring how much you've grown in a year. It's not exactly quantifiable, is it?

How ya doin', Auggie? he'd always say, and

But I really believe, and Daddy really believes, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other.

Words can't change my face

Sometimes you don't have to mean to hurt someone to hurt someone.

Olivia's family tell each other "i love you" all the time. i can't remember the last time anyone in my family said that to me.

Another was: You're a babe. Tickle my feet. XO Beulah

Look with kindness and you will always find wonder.

I actually like how doctors talk. I like the sound of science. I like how words you don't understand explain things you can't understand.

Be kinder than necessary.

Countless doctors have drawn little tic-tac-toe grids for my parents over the years to try to explain the genetic lottery to them. Geneticists

There's no rule book that tells you how to act in every given situation in life, you know? So what I always say is that it's always better to err on the side of kindness. That's the secret. If you don't know what to do, just be kind. You can't go wrong.

I've always thought that good teaching is about illumination. Sure, we teach things kids might not know, but a lot of the time, we're just shedding light on the stuff they already know.

Everyone born of God overcometh the world.

Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life because we all overcometh the world.

its better to know some question than all answers -James Thurber

One thing I've learned after being a middle-school director for twenty years: there are almost always more than two sides to every story. Although I don't know the details, I have an inkling about what may have sparked the confrontation with Julian. While nothing justifies striking another student - ever - I also know good friends are sometimes worth defending.

moment," Dad repeated. "Good night, guys.

Wake Me Up when September Ends

One mistake doesn't define you, Julian.

One mistake does not define you, Julian. Do you understand me? You must simply act better next time.

If you have a choice of being right or kind, choose kind.

So I've gotten used to not complaining, and I've gotten used to not bothering Mom and Dad with little stuff. I've gotten used to figuring things out on my own: how to put toys together, how to organize my life so I don't miss friends' birthday parties, how to stay on top of my schoolwork so I never fall behind in class. I've never asked for help with my homework. Never needed reminding to finish a project or study for a test. If I was having trouble with a subject in school, I'd go home and study it until I figured it out on my own. I taught myself how to convert fractions into decimal points by going online. I've done every school project pretty much by myself. When Mom or Dad ask me how things are going in school, I've always said "good" - even when it hasn't always been so good. My worst day, worst fall, worst headache, worst bruise, worst cramp, worst mean thing anyone could say has always been nothing compared to what August has gone through. This isn't me being noble, by the way: it's just the way I know it is.

It's funny how there's a word like overprotective to describe some parents, but no word that means the opposite. what word do you use to describe parents who don't protect enough? underprotective? neglectful? self-involved? lame? all of the above. olivia's family

When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind. - Dr Wayne W. Dyer

I couldn't wait to go home.