“I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life.”

The prime function of the children’s book writer is to write a book that is so absorbing, exciting, funny, fast and beautiful that the child will fall in love with it.

Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it’s unbelievable.

Writing is mainly perspiration, not inspiration.

Unless you have been to boarding-school when you are very young, it is absolutely impossible to appreciate the delights of living at home.

I’ve always said to myself that if a little pocket calculator can do it why shouldn’t I?

A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it

But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking lucky, the chance is there. The chance had to be there.

What a fortunate fellow I am, I kept telling myself. Nobody has ever had such a lovely time as this!

Some children are spoiled and it is not their fault, it is their parents.

To shipbrokers, coal was black gold.

The more risks you allow your children to make, the better they learn to look after themselves.

I’m right and you’re wrong, I’m big and you’re small, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Kindness – that simple word. To be kind – it covers everything, to my mind. If you’re kind that’s it.

Rainbow drops – suck them and you can spit in six different colours.

We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.

I am only 8 years old, I told myself. No little boy of 8 has ever murdered anyone. It’s not possible.

At the beginning, you are 20 and you can just imagine… don’t get me wrong, but having money. Then you realise that it’s not only about you and what you are doing but that you have to give back.

At the beginning, you are 20 and you can just imagine… don’t get me wrong, but having money. Then you realise that it’s not only about you and what you are doing but that you have to give back.

At the beginning, you are 20 and you can just imagine… don’t get me wrong, but having money. Then you realise that it’s not only about you and what you are doing but that you have to give back.

There is no knowing that does not begin with knowing God.

All stress begins with one negative thought.

Just sitting around waiting for my life to begin, while it was all just slipping away.

I know the way you can get / When you have not had a drink of Love: / Your face hardens, / Your sweet muscles cramp. / Children become concerned / About a strange look that appears in your eyes / Which even begins to worry your own mirror / And nose.

VISUALIZE!!! See it, feel it! This is where action begins.