Holly Webb > Quotes

“was remembering the illustrations from Morally Instructive Tales for the Nursery, which was one of the books in the schoolroom. The two little boys who owned the boat in the original story fought about who got to sail it first, which obviously meant that one of them drowned in the fountain. Most of the books in the schoolroom had endings like that. Rose quite enjoyed working out the exact point when the characters were beyond hope. It was usually when they lied to get more jam.”
― Holly Webb, Rose

“Grace didn’t go to the shelter at all that week. She just couldn’t bear it. She had made Harry’s life even harder by falling in love with him. He had to find a new home, and she was stopping him. She just had to let him go, the sooner the better. She supposed she could have gone back to the shelter and kept away from Harry, but that would be so difficult. Danny didn’t even try to persuade her this time. Mum had phoned the shelter to talk to Sally and explain. Grace had listened to what Mum was saying, and she could tell that Sally was sad, but that she agreed with Mum. It was the best thing for Harry. Life felt very flat without the shelter to go to, though, Grace thought, lying on her bed listening to her favourite CD. School, more school, hanging around at home. She’d gone to Maya’s for tea yesterday, which was nice, but she still missed Harry, and all the other dogs, so much. “Grace!” Mum called from the kitchen. “Time to go!” Grace sighed, and rolled off her bed. Another flat to go and see.”
― Holly Webb, Harry the Homeless Puppy

“The little glass girl was growing to understand the strange manners of the world she'd been brought into, the way it worked by promises, and half-truths and smiling lies, but she had little patience for it.”
― Holly Webb, The Girl of Glass

“He’s as bad as he was when he first came,” Mandy said sadly, looking at the little brown-and-white ball in the basket. It was all they’d been able to see of Harry for days. Sally called gently, “Harry! Here, boy!” but he didn’t even twitch. “It’s so sad. He really adored Grace, but I can understand why she doesn’t think she should visit him any more, and it’s probably for the best.” “Still, there’s a family coming to see him this afternoon,” said Mandy. “They saw him on the website, and they think he looks perfect. If they like him, and they can give him the time to settle down…” They stared at Harry, still curled up silently, and Sally sighed. “Well, you never know…”
― Holly Webb, Harry the Homeless Puppy

“Beth nodded, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. She supposed she ought to be glad about that – she certainly didn’t want Harry to be here at the shelter for ages, all miserable in a little run. But she didn’t want anyone else to have him either! He was hers. She’d only had him for two months, when her dad broke the news to her that his company was sending him to America for three years. At first it had seemed so exciting, going to live in New York, but almost at once she’d thought of Harry. Would he like it there? And then Dad had said he couldn’t come. That it would be too difficult with quarantine, and they would be living in a city flat that wouldn’t be suitable for a dog. Harry had to stay behind, and since they had no one to leave him with, he had to go to the shelter – a home for unwanted dogs. Which didn’t seem fair, because Beth did want him, very much. “We’ll write to you, to let you know when Harry’s settled with a new owner,” Sally promised. “Really soon. I know he’s going to find a lovely home.” Beth wanted to shout out that he had a lovely home, but she nodded, and her dad led her out, which was good, because she was crying so much she couldn’t see. Harry whimpered, calling after her and scrabbling at the wire door. Beth was crying! There was something wrong, and she was going away from him. He howled for two hours, and then he was so exhausted he fell asleep. When he woke up, she still hadn’t come back.”
― Holly Webb, Harry the Homeless Puppy

“I lied to you. You did save us. There, happy now?” he asked the cat. “No,” Rose and the cat said it together, and the cat added, “You should grovel. Make him grovel, girl, you saved his skin.”
― Holly Webb, Rose

“On Monday morning, Buttons hopefully brought him her lead, just in case, but he was sitting in his chair, recovering from the effort of getting down the stairs. “I’m”
― Holly Webb, Buttons the Runaway Puppy

“Perhaps there were worse things than being afraid of the dark.”
― Holly Webb, Return to the Secret Garden

“Ben the spaniel soon worked out a good way to calm Alfie down when he was being too puppyish and excitable – he sat on him! Evie panicked the first time he did it, but Gran said it would probably be good for Alfie to have an older dog bossing him around, and that Ben wouldn’t hurt him.”
― Holly Webb, Alfie All Alone

“Maybe, just maybe, with each other's help, they have a chance of overcoming the trials put in front of them.”
― Holly Webb

“... Sid would have a snooze while Bella did her homework, and then they’d go out into the garden and practise training. Bella was determined that Sid was going to be the most beautifully trained dog ever. She had even bought a book on it with her pocket money, and in a couple of weeks they were going to start classes. Somehow, because he was a bit scruffy-looking, Bella felt that people who met Sid might think he was badly behaved. So she was determined to do her absolute best to make sure that he wasn’t. Luckily, Sid really seemed to like the training. Especially the delicious dog treats that Bella used as rewards. She was trying to teach him to sit and stay until she called him, and he was getting quite good at it.”
― Holly Webb, The Scruffy Puppy

“Rob feels terrible. He’s looking further up the road with his mum.” So he should! Olivia thought. But being furious with Rob didn’t really help. She and Ben and Mum and Dad set off up the road, calling and peering over fences. Olivia kept shaking the treats, hoping to see a little grey kitten dash eagerly towards her, like he did at home. Half an hour later, they were back outside Rob’s house, and everyone looked rather hopeless. Especially Rob. It seemed as though he’d been crying, and Olivia almost felt sorry for him. “Not a sign,” Dad said, frowning. “And none of the people we asked had spotted him.” “Should we go further? The next street?” Rob’s mum asked doubtfully. “Oh, look!” Mum pointed down the road. “What is it? Can you see him?” Olivia gasped. “Sorry, Olivia. It’s Lucie, down at the end of the road, with her mum.” Lucie came runninng up the road as soon as she spotted Olivia. “We’ll find him,” she promised, seeing her friend’s miserable face and hugging her tightly. “I’m sure we will,” her mum agreed, as they reached the little crowd outside Rob’s house. “There’s lots of us looking now.” Everyone was still discussing where to look next. “He couldn’t still be in your garden, hidden away?” Olivia suggested.”
― Holly Webb, Smudge the Stolen Kitten

“I wish he would make friends with me. I don't think I have ever had a friend and I should like one.”
― Holly Webb, Return to the Secret Garden

“But in my secret garden, I am only me and no one minds.”
― Holly Webb, Return to the Secret Garden

“Most of the books in the schoolroom had endings like that. Rose quite enjoyed working out the exact point when the characters were beyond hope. It was usually when they lied to get more jam.”
― Holly Webb, Rose