Quotes from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Rules and school are tools for fools! I don't give two mules for rules.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Oh, here’s a clever one. Do you remember this question from the first test? It reads, ‘What’s wrong with this statement?’ And do you know what Constance wrote in reply? She wrote, ‘What’s wrong with you?”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Is this what family is like: the feeling that everyone’s connected, that with one piece missing, the whole thing’s broken?”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“And please don't call me that."

I didn't call you 'that', I called you George Washington.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Children are capable of such open rudeness.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Every great thinker keeps a journal, you know.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“The missing aren't missing, they're only departed,
All minds keep all thoughts - so like gold - closely guarded,”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Why, then, do you think the white player might have done it?”

Reynie considered. He imagined himself moving out his knight only to bring it right back to where it started. Why would he ever do such a thing? At last he said, “Perhaps because he doubted himself.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Poor Kate,” said Constance, “she’s lost her marbles.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“One problem with being a leader, is that even among your friends you are alone, for it is you -- and you alone -- to whom the others look for final guidance.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Grow the lawn and mow the lawn
always keep the TV on,
brush your teeth and kill the germs,
poison apples, poison worms.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Daddy, will you take me to the mill, again?”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Reynie's fce fell. 'It's not funny, Kate.'
For a moment - a fleeting moment - Kate looked desperately sad. 'Well, of course it's not funny, Reynie Muldoon. But what do you want me to do? Cry?”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Was it worse for him, Reynie wondered, to have felt loved and then rejected? Or was it worse to have always felt alone?”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“She announced her age right away, for children consider their ages every bit as important as their names.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Milligan! Come and tell us why you're so dreadfully glum!" ~ Constance, The Mysterious Benedict Society”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Everything is as it should be.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Something about this made Reynie uneasy. Had he done so badly? Was this meant to test his courage? He did as he was told, closing his eyes and bracing himself as best he could.
"Why are you flinching?" the pencil woman asked.
"I don't know. I thought maybe you were going to slap me."
"Don't be ridiculous. I could slap you perfectly well with your eyes open. I'm only going to blindfold you.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“I can't say for sure, because I have no experience, but -- well, is this what family is like? The feeling that everyone's connected, that with one piece missing the whole thing's broken?”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“They stared out their window at night enough to know where the darkest shadows lay, and it was to the darkest shadows they kept.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“No one seems to realize how much we are driven by FEAR, the essential component of human personality. Everything else - from ambition to love to despair - derives in some way from this single powerful emotion.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“You are the smartest children i know. You just don't beleive it.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“For every exit, there is also an entrance.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Don't thank me,' Mr. Curtain called as the door slid closed. 'Impress me!”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“If we're just trying to be accurate, then how about 'The Doomed to Fail Bunch'?" said Constance.
"Honestly! We can't even name ourselves.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“At this, Constance sat down on a rock and covered her face. She seemed smaller than ever now - so small the harbor breeze might catch her up like a scrap of paper and carry her away, carry her into nowhere.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

“Oh dear,"cried Rhonda just then, for Mr. Benedict, awash in strong emotion, has gone to sleep.with a sudden loud snore he toppled forward into the attentive arms of Rhonda and Number Two, who eased him to the floor.
"What's wrong with him?" Constance asked.
"He has narcolepsy," said Kate.
"He steals a lot?"
"That's kleptomania," Sticky said. "Mr. Benedict sleeps a lot.”
― Trenton Lee Stewart, quote from The Mysterious Benedict Society

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“Rather than sleep, Tibbets crawled through the thirty-foot tunnel to chat
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I looked at him and said, "Colonel, are we splitting atoms today?"

This time he gave me a really funny look, and said, "That's about it.”
― Richard Rhodes, quote from The Making of the Atomic Bomb

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