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“I’m going to faint, Norman thought, just as his legs gave way, and he sat down hard on the stage. The world came back in a snap, led by the nauseating sound of Alvin’s Hyena Laugh. “Normie fell down and go boom, baby! Look at him! He’s white as a sheet! Whassamatter, Norm, you look like you saw a ghost! Get it? Get it? A ghost!” The laughter of Alvin and his Meaty Henchmen was momentarily drowned out by the sound of the bell. Leaving his script where it had fallen, Norman jumped to his feet and sped out of the gym. For just a moment, he was the only person in the hallway—everything looked oddly deserted and devoid of human life. Like how a school might look in a ghost town.”
― Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, ParaNorman: A Novel Extended Free Preview

“After working for the agency and observing the miscalculations and overt corruption, I’ve found it necessary to expose the exploitative actions carried out in the name of “helping children.” Because we do live in a world where parents abuse their children, it is imperative to acknowledge that the agency tasked with protecting these children”
― Carlos Morales, Legally Kidnapped: The Case Against Child Protective Services

“Phosphorus is added to
streams and enters the lake. Algae
growth is stimulated, and a dense
layer forms. (c) The algae layer
becomes so dense that the algae at
the bottom die. Bacteria feed on the
dead algae and use up the oxygen.
Finally, fish die from lack”
― Daniel B. Botkin, Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet

“knew that Jordan would be sure to notice and ask about her tears. Nothing gets past that one! Peony thought. That strange, quiet little girl with the darting eyes that see everything, maybe even what folks are thinking! Something”
― Augusta Trobaugh, River Jordan