Maureen Straka > Quotes

“TJ shouted, “Let’s hope this one doesn’t get all washed up.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“Alex will be my campaign manager." He looked at me.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid 3: Election Blues

“was flying solo, but I had already broken our old record of seventy-nine bounces and I was going strong. It took my mind off the fish, and Mr. Smith’s ankle, and TJ Hinkleman. I had bounced the ball ninety-five times in a row and I was totally in the zone. And I just knew I could break 100. Bounce. Ninety-six. This was a piece of cake. Bounce. Ninety- seven. Who needs Luke anyway? Bounce. Ninety-eight. Victory would be mine.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“ride was tough because our bus driver, “Speedy” Springer was not what you would call a cautious driver. Somehow, I got the fish home without getting totally soaked and I put the bowl on my dresser. I had a lot on my mind. I had to figure how to get the letter to Mr. Smith and write a dumb fish diary. I forgot about Emeril until after supper, when I was sitting at the kitchen table trying to write the stupid fish journal. Dylan sat on the floor playing with his toy cars and it was really hard to concentrate because he kept making these “Vroom-vroom” noises.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“My mom yelled at us to leave him alone, so we”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“Having your best friend move away is like finding a week-old tuna sandwich in the bottom of your back pack. It really stinks. When Luke moved away last summer, I knew things wouldn’t be the same.  Luke was more than just my best friend. He was the coolest person I’ve ever known.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“hope-we-can-be-friends grin,”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“look of horror”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“but it doesn’t help. That poor child just can’t learn to read.” I froze in my tracks. T.J. Hinkleman couldn’t read? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Sure, I knew he wasn’t an honor roll student, but he couldn’t read? We were in 6th grade, everyone knew how to read. Then I thought about how he always fooled around during class. If the teacher called”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“Hey, watch it, Baker. Just because you’re a ‘hero’ doesn’t mean I won’t pummel you.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid 2: In the Dog House

“highlight their crazy home life,”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid 3: Election Blues

“So, when the beauty shop was empty that day, I breathed a sigh of relief.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid 3: Election Blues

“garbage.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“best”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“Chapter 15 Almost Perfect I rode over to Danielle’s house wondering, could it be her? I thought about how when I walked in her room, she had yelled at me and stuffed a paper in her desk drawer, like she was trying to hide something. Could it have been the answer key? Aunt Michelle opened the door, smiling. “There’s my favorite nephew.” “Hi, Aunt Michelle.” I was glad to see that she looked happier today. “Is Danielle home?” “Yeah, she’s upstairs with Emily. Go ahead up.” Emily was there. Suddenly I had butterflies in my stomach. I could hear music blaring from Danielle’s room. I knocked softly on her door, but they didn’t hear me.  I knocked again, a little louder. Emily opened the door and smiled. “Oh hi, Alex. What’s up?” she asked. Her cheeks were red and she was out of breath. “We were just practicing our cheerleading dance for the game tomorrow.” I smiled. “Cool. I bet you’ll do great.” “Thanks,” she said.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid 2: In the Dog House

“12.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“He could burp the entire alphabet, forwards… and backwards.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“hair”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“Peanut before the monster could hurt her, but Mrs. Rader turned so red I thought her head would explode. Since then, Mom put a restraining order on Dylan whenever Peanut is nearby.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“want”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“Riley”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid 2: In the Dog House

“There were definitely some perks to my Dad being the manager at Burger Boat.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid 2: In the Dog House

“I’d come to realize 3 things about my parents: 1. You just can’t reason with them. 2. They have no idea what it’s like being 12. 3. They blame me for anything that Dylan does.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“Dad was the new Captain Cheeseburger. “Ahoy there, Bakers!”  I heard him bellow over the pirate music pumping through the speakers. He smiled from behind the cash register. “Can I interest you in a Skipper Meal?” Yep. Things just kept getting worse. I had to do something to help Dad, so that evening I mailed the apology letter to my dad’s old boss. I was determined”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“catch”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid 4: Along for the Ride

“label carefully.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“In gym class, he was always chosen team captain. And for some reason, he always picked me first, even though I was the shortest kid in class.”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“TJ’s bad side which was a dangerous place to be”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“In gym class, he was always chosen team captain. And for some reason, he always picked me first, even though”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!

“middle”
― Maureen Straka, The New Kid: Surviving Middle School Is Tough!