Once upon a time, " he said out loud to the darkness. He said these words because they were the best, the most powerful words that he knew and just the saying of them comforted him.

The sound of the king's music made Despereaux's soul grow large and light inside of him.

Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.

And hope is like love...a ridiculous, wonderful, powerful thing.

There ain't no point in making soup unless others eat it. Soup needs another mouth to taste it, another heart to be warmed by it.

The world is dark, and light is precious.Come closer, dear reader.You must trust me.I am telling you a story.

Despereaux was reading the story out loud to himself. He was reading from the beginning so that he could get to the end...

The April sun, weak but determined, shone through a castle window and from there squeezed itself through a small hole in the wall and placed one golden finger on the little mouse.

Stories are light.

Desperaux, " she said. He saw his name on her lips."I honor you, " whispered Desperaux. "I honor you.

You cannot betray others without betraying your inner positive self in the process.

I should’ve been very cross with Anubis. Kissing me without permission—the nerve!

Some of the best lessons we ever learn are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.

I've always been pretty athletic.

There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.

Kids don’t do what their parents say-they do what they see their parents do. So who was to blame here?

It's a law of life - check it and you'll see it holds true in every situation of life.

My daughter's wanted to be an actress since she was six years old, but I didn't want her to go through the same experiences as I did as a child actor.

If POSIX threads are a good thing, perhaps I don't want to know what they're better than.

She was like a crinkled poppy; with the desire to drink dry dust.