Ah, but is any history really all that ancient?' Second asked. 'Doesn't every moment from the past affect the present?' This man was more annoying than any history teacher Jordan had ever had.

— Margaret Peterson Haddix

Ah, jeez... She really is a cheerleader.' And it seemed suddenly that this was true-not because she was an airhead or a hottie or a nonjock, but because she could throw herself so wholeheartedly into someone else's cause, because she could care so much and try so hard from the sidelines.

— Margaret Peterson Haddix

And Medley started saying,'Shut Up! Quit that! And I knew it really meant something to him. So I asked for his help,"Mark said. "Don't tell the story like that," Medley laughed. "What he said was 'Quit pretending you're a bad guy I need your help, and I need it now!

— Margaret Peterson Haddix

A thousand times today I've started to open my mouth, started to squeak out, "Can you tell me...? But then I'd look into the front seat, at my mother's silent shaking, my father's grim profile, the mournful bags under his eyes, and all the questions I might ask seemed abusive. Assault and battery, a question mark used like a club. My parents are old and fragile. I'd have too heartless to want to hurt them.

— Margaret Peterson Haddix

At times like this, Erin didn't feel like they were just twins. They were teammates. They were partners. Furthermore, they were two halves of the same brain.

— Margaret Peterson Haddix

Because," he said in an even voice, "you're used to winning, so you don't even think about how, every time there's a game, both sides get that 'rah, rah, team' speech from their coaches both sides hear 'you're the best!' 'You've got to win!' 'You're the greatest!' But half of the people playing that game are going to walk away losers. Half!

— Margaret Peterson Haddix

But it’d be nice to have someone who cared about me, someone I could talk to about anything, someone who’d tell me I was really special.

— Margaret Peterson Haddix

But, really, are there any guys out there who aren’t jerks? I don’t even know any grown-up men who aren’t jerks.

— Margaret Peterson Haddix

But things are so bad, I feel like I’m going to explode if I don’t do something.

— Margaret Peterson Haddix

Governments will rise, and governments will fall, and man will do evil to man, and all we can do is turn our hearts to good.

— Margaret Peterson Haddix