Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Quotes & Sayings

That's the unforgivable sin, you know."
"What is?"
"Refusing to forgive someone."
"Refusing to forgive someone is the unforgivable sin?" I asked incredulously. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

You don't have to be part of a couple to be happy, you know. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Sexually active? Sexually active? Patrick and I hadn't even learned the fine points of kissing yet!
I marched on down. 'For your information,' I said from the doorway, as both Dad and Lester jerked to attention, 'I am about as sexually active as a bag of spinach, and if you want to keep me on the porch and not out in the park somewhere behind the bushes, you'll keep the stupid porch light off when I come home with a boy. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

An idea in the head is like a rock in the shoe; I just can't wait to get it out. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Once I have the idea for a story. I start collecting all kinds of helpful information and storing it in three-ring notebooks. For example, I may see a picture of a man in a magazine and say, 'That's exactly what the father in my book looks like!' ... I save everything that will help
maps, articles, hand-jotted notes, bits of dialogue from conversations that I overhear. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Funny how one lie leads to another and before you know it, your whole life can be a lie. I sit on the porch swing later, not even — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

I hate that phrase: move on. Like no matter what happened or what you did, you just "move on," and that's supposed to make everything all right. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

If it doesn't sweat, jiggle, or pant, it's not alive. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

plus a porch that runs along three sides of the house. I told Ma once the Howards had a room just for company, a room just for books, and a room just for plants, and she said that was three rooms too many. First time I ever saw any envy in my ma. David — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

... and I'm thinking how nothing is as simple as you guess-not right or wrong, not Judd Travers, not even me or this dog I got here. But the good part is I saved Shiloh and opened my eyes some. Now that ain't bad for eleven. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

There was a fire drill at school the next day. I think I'm more afraid of the fire alarm than I am of a fire. When the fire alarm goes off, you jump out of your skin. Your heart pounds and your ears buzz and your brain melts and all you want to do is get away from that horrible noise. "Get up and walk quickly out the door and to your right," said Mr. Dooley. "Do not pass go and do not collect two hundred dollars," said Donald. I held my hands over my ears to drown out the fire alarm. Outside we stood around waiting for the bell that means we could come back in again. "Yay! The roof is on fire! No more school!" someone joked. "Anybody got a match?" said someone else. Mr. Dooley said that wasn't funny. He said if there really was a fire, we'd be smart to know what to do. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

For your information, Lester, there are at least five wonderful parts of the female body that can be viewed by the owner only with a hand mirror. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Well, the man who first translated the bible into English was burned at the stake, and they've been at it ever since. Must be all that adultery, murder and incest. But not to worry. It's back on the shelves. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The first draft is just a skeleton-just bare bones. It's like the very first rehearsal of a play, where the director moves the actors around mechanically to get a feel of the action. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

No one looks up. No one pauses. No one even questions. Easy as falling off a log. I — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

If Jesus ever comes back to earth again, I'm thinking, he'll come as a dog, because there isn't anything as humble or patient or loving or loyal as the dog I have in my arms right now. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Karen made a face. "Oh, c'mon."
"I don't think so," I said.
"Old Play-by-the-Rules McKinley," said Brian, laughing at me.
I could hardly stand him. "You've got that right," I said, and turned away. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Don't expect trouble. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Just that what happens today or next week or next year isn't necessarily the way things are always going to be. As soon as you settle into a routine, life throws you a curveball. Sometimes you hit it, sometimes you don't. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

One way to tell if you're really comfortable with a person is if you can be quiet together sometimes and not feel awkward. If you don't feel obligated to say something brilliant or funny or surprising or cool. You can just be together. You can just be. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Sometimes the bad guys don't win. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

There were so many of these moments that could never be captured accurately, even in the camcorder, only in the heart. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Pretending that Shiloh's a bear, tryin' to get in. The more they squeal, the more Shiloh wiggles about, tryin' to get his nose under the edge of the sheet, tail going ninety miles an hour. If that dog had wings, he'd fly, except his propeller would be on the wrong end. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

But how did you know that it was Stacy?"
"There wasn't a green light flashing, that's for sure," he said. "Mostly, I felt I'd met a person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. That I didn't need to look any further.""
"But how can you be sure?" I persisted.
"You can't. There's not just one person in the world who's your type. There's a whole group with the same likes and dislikes. But you want to spend your whole life looking for all of them? You just feel that everything's right. You're at peace with yourself. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Everything can change in an instant. Everything. And then there is only before and after. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

You get a dog on your mind, it seems to fill up the whole space. Everything you do reminds you of that dog. When — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Do we have a hand mirror?' I asked from the kitchen doorway.
'Never use one,' said Lester, examining the date on a carton of sour cream.
'Naturally, you're a male. What you see is what you've got,' I said resentfully.
'Huh?' said Lester. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

I wanted my children and grandchildren to know that no matter when you are born or where you live, happiness and disappointments have the same flavors the world over. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

I used to think that when I grew up there wouldn't be so many rules. Back in elementary school there were rules about what entrance you used in the morning, what door you used going home, when you could talk in the library, how many paper towels you could use in the rest room, and how many drinks of water you could get during recess. And there was always somebody watching to make sure.
What I'm finding out about growing older is that there are just as many rules about lots of things, but there's nobody watching. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Why is life so complicated ... ?' I asked.
'To keep us from being bored,' he said. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

If you are embarrassed about your sex, it must mean that you feel there is something demeaning or disgusting about being female. You are all wondrously made, girls. Remember that: wondrously made, and you should carry your sex proudly, a badge of honor. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Saying hello to something new means saying good-bye to something old and loved. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Between the 6th and 7th grade, something happens to your eyes. they water a lot. I think its so you can get all the watering out of the way before you begin wearing mascara. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The world is full of unrequited love,' I said finally.
'You and Patrick having problems?' Dad said, reaching around to get the butter out of the fridge.
'No, I was just wondering what you would say if I was a lesbian.'
'Come again?' said Lester. 'I'm having a hard time following this conversation. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

It's all right to have secrets, ... as long as you don't have any secrets from yourself. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Patrick and I were about as different as two people could possibly be. Nothing embarrasses Patrick very much, and everything embarrasses me. Just being alive embarrasses me. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

I know, but if I feel this bad for Gramps, how am I going to feel when it's Dad?" Tyler told me.
"You'll feel even worse, of course, but you'll carry on, because happiness has a way of creeping in again. It really does," I said. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Good, because I don't understand anything at all. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The Three Cs, I told myself. When you're not Comfortable with it, it's not a Compliment, it's Creepy. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

When you've found the right one - when you see him, when you're with him - you'll feel like you're coming home. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

His face looked almost as gray as his suit, and the pouches beneath his eyes looked like little bags for holding all the sadness that his head couldn't hold. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Sometimes I wish I could just press a button and be through school and starting my real life,' I told him.
'This is your real life, Al,' he said, 'Don't start living in the future. That's like gulping down a piece of fudge cake and then asking yourself, 'Where'd it go?' You're missing the moment. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Writing, for me, is the best occupation I can think of, and there is nothing in the world I would rather do. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

It's what they say to do when you're depressed, you know. Walk in someone else's shoes for a while, and your own won't feel so tight. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Happiness is wanting what you have. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

We all have our own battles to fight, and sometimes we have to go it alone. I'm stronger than you think, you'd be surprised. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Since no one really knows what or who God is, or whether God is at all, why can't God be hope? — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

I sure wasn't going to ask Aunt Sally, because if she told me once that getting your period was like a moth becoming a butterfly, she'd probably say that sexual intercourse was like a deer getting antlers or something. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

I also know that you can lie not only by what you say but what you don't say. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor