Lauren Tarshis Quotes

Being in love is one of the most powerful experiences anyone can have. I think that's why we have crushes when we're younger. Maybe it's how we get ready for real love.

Sometimes we must all fall out of a tree.

That was how it always was with Colleen: No matter how sad she felt, there was always this little bit of hope - like a speck of glitter caught in your eyelash - that never went away, no matter what.

There are plenty of bad people in the world,” he said. “Too many to count. But there are good people, too.

There’s no room in a small town for grudges.

information

Tower of London, where they used to chop off your head if the king didn’t like you.

SHARK KILLS SECOND BATHER IN NEW JERSEY JULY 7, 1916 SPRING LAKE, NEW JERSEY

But eleven-year-old Max Rosen was determined to stay alive.

A person has to face up to things. You never solve anything by running away.

He stared at his dog, his beautiful ugly dog who was soaking wet and covered with dirt and grime, whose tongue was hanging out of his mouth. Where had he come from? Zeke licked Dex again. Dex

The girls smiled and swayed as though Colleen's happiness was their favorite song.

2,668 people are still missing Nearly

Cars and trucks were everywhere but parked in driveways. They were crushed in the middle of the street, flipped upside down, wrapped around poles. And

There were nine dogs on the Titanic. They stayed in kennels, but their owners could take them out onto the decks for walks. Two Pomeranians and one Pekingese survived with their masters.

Dylan had helped Dex get the bed set up, and of course they made it right, the SEAL way. They’d even smiled at each other, the kind of smiles they used to share back when they’d been best friends. It seemed the tornado had broken down that wall that had risen up between them. And

He hung up and stood there, his mind spinning. Uncle Benny’s words whispered in his head. We’ll do what we always do. What they always did. Fight fires. Save people’s lives. Yes, that’s what they’d do now. The FDNY was the biggest fire department in the world. They were the best. And they would do what they always did.

original plan to write about September 11, 2001, in the I Survived series. But over the past two years, I have received more than a thousand e-mails from kids asking me to write about this topic. At school visits, there are always kids who raise their hands and ask, “Will you be writing about 9/11?” At first, my answer was always no. I was shocked that you would be so curious about that terrible day, which I had been trying to forget since it happened. I have friends who lost family members on 9/11 and others

pictured

Papa.

They

bloodred

rasped. Their

Dex was relieved Dr. Gage didn’t reveal how they’d met yesterday — with Dex almost getting squashed by Dr. Gage’s SUV.

rest in peace

Dad had it right when he said Zeke looked like a cross between a dolphin and a hyena. But who needed good looks when you were the best dog on the planet? Dex

Emma-Jean

THE 2018 FIRE SEASON WAS THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE

Mama!” a little boy squealed. “Take me closer!

He was covered in syrup, doughnut crumbs, and bacon grease.

Killer eyes,

But, Danny decided, being scared was better than being numb.

And they would do what they always did.

But the burns weren’t the worst of what that fire did to Dad. It took away his easy smile and booming laugh. It turned him quiet. Some days Dad barely talked at all. He’d get

There would be more storms ahead, John knew. But somehow they’d all made it through the blizzard. Whatever was coming, they would face it. Maybe that’s what it meant to be a pioneer.

Max gripped Zena’s hand and they ran for their lives. Their only hope was a nearby swamp. They could hide in the mud and slime, with the snakes and the snapping turtles and the razor-sharp grass. But

In the weeks after the flood, the Humane Society of the United States organized the biggest animal rescue in history. Hundreds of volunteers from all over the country came to New Orleans. They broke into boarded-up houses, plucked dogs and cats from rooftops and trees, and even rescued pigs and goats. Many animals were reunited with their owners. Others were sent to shelters across America to be adopted by new families.

Killer eyes,” he repeated quietly. It was a minute before he started talking again. The guys waited with their tongues practically hanging out. “The beast went underwater, and for a second I thought maybe it’d decided I

hawk wings, titanium armor, and eyes that could see through walls. Jay rose to his feet. “That’s amazing,” he said in a shocked whisper. “The wings look real. And that fire …” He pointed to the flames coming out of Akivo’s silver boots. Barry had worked for three hours on those flames, mixing orange and red and yellow with a bit of blue until they looked like they would burn your fingers if you touched them. They both stood there for a minute, staring at the drawing. Then Jay started jumping up and down. “We’re going to win the contest!” Jay yelled. “We’re going to win the contest!” Barry started jumping too. He knew that hundreds of people were entering,

What a sad and frightening time it was. Thousands of firefighters and other rescue workers swarmed the sixteen-acre disaster zone, searching for survivors. The area, which became known as Ground Zero, was extremely dangerous. Underground fires smoldered, and the smoke was a toxic mix of melted plastic, steel, lead, and many poisonous chemicals. Few of the rescue workers had on proper protective clothing or masks. And as it quickly became clear, there were not very many survivors to find. Only fourteen people were pulled out of the rubble alive, all within the first twenty-four hours of the collapse. About 50,000 people had been working in the buildings that day. Two thousand and sixteen died. Also among the dead: 343 firefighters and 60 police officers who were in or near the

Though I work in New York City, in an office about a mile from the World Trade Center, I was not in New York City when the planes struck. I was on a plane above the Atlantic Ocean, heading back to New York from a family reunion and celebration in Europe. I had said good-bye to my husband in London; he was staying for a wedding of a business friend. I couldn’t wait to see my kids and my parents, who would be waiting for me at a Little League game in our town, about thirty-five miles from New York City. An hour and a half into the flight, I suddenly had the feeling that the plane was making a slow turn. Nobody else seemed to notice. I sat nervously, hoping I was imagining it. But then a stewardess made an announcement. “There has been a catastrophic event affecting all of North American airspace,” she said. “We are returning

And as it quickly became clear, there were not very many survivors to find. Only fourteen people were pulled out of the rubble alive, all within the first twenty-four hours of the collapse. About 50,000 people had been working in the buildings that day. Two thousand and sixteen died. Also among the dead: 343 firefighters and 60 police officers who were in or near the buildings when they collapsed. In the months after the attacks, it was hard to imagine that life would ever go back to normal. It never will for many people, like my friend who lost her brother; like the hundreds of firefighters who have serious health problems caused by the toxic smoke and dust they breathed at Ground Zero; like the thousands who managed to escape that day, but who saw the horrors up close. Today, while the horrors of that day still linger, the city itself is more vibrant than ever. People have done their best to move forward.

They’d been eaten! Chet was the only one left! He was about to run up to Main Street for help, but then Dewey came up sputtering. “You idiot,” Dewey said, looking around. “You kept me under too long! That wasn’t the plan!” Who was Dewey talking to? And what did he mean about a plan? Sid came up out of the water, gasping for breath. Where was the shark? And why was Sid laughing? “We got you!” Sid shouted at Chet. He held something up. A chipped gray tile. The fin. Chet’s head started to spin. He felt like he might throw up. They’d tricked him! Monty was standing on the bank on the other side of the creek. “I can’t believe you fell for that!” he laughed. Chet couldn’t talk. His heart seemed to be

440,000 residents were scattered all around the country. But New Orleans did survive. And years later, it continues to recover — building by building, house by house, tree by tree, road by road, family by family. Seventy-five percent of residents have returned. To many visitors, the city seems as vibrant as it always was, with unforgettable music and food, beautiful buildings and gardens, and streets that bustle with energy unlike any other city in America. But in some of the poorest and hardest-hit neighborhoods, recovery has been painfully slow. If Barry were to come back to the Lower Ninth Ward today, he would see few of his neighbors smiling down from their porches. Much of the Lower Nine is still abandoned. Only 19 percent of that neighborhood’s residents have returned.

Catastrophic event? The plane was silent as people tried to grasp what this could possibly mean. Earthquake? Bomb? One man actually thought a meteor could have hit somewhere in America. And then, moments later, the stewardess made another announcement. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she said. “I will now tell you what has occurred….” And for reasons I will never understand, she told our planeload of terrified people exactly what was happening: that planes had been hijacked by terrorists and flown into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. There could be other planes involved, she said. The disaster was still unfolding. An hour and a half later, we landed in London. Police escorted us into the chaotic airport. Somehow, I tracked down my husband. It wasn’t until late that night that we were able to get a

He pulled back his blankets to make a spot for Zeke. He had to yank hard to undo his sheets, which were tucked in extra tight. Jeremy had taught him how to make his bed that way. He had just finished SEAL training in California, the most brutal military training in the world. It was six months of pure misery, Jeremy said, endless days of grueling runs, freezing ocean swims, and impossible obstacle courses. The worst night for Jeremy was when they had to swim for hours in the freezing Pacific Ocean. The surf was so rough he got thrown against some rocks and cut his leg. “They finally pulled me out of the water,” Jeremy had said. “They were afraid my blood would attract the great white sharks that feed in that area.” Dex had repeated that story to Dylan and the guys, and they had almost fallen off of their chairs with happiness. Dex

The fire started inside a barn. It was tiny at first, a glowing dot, some wisps of white smoke. But then flames reached up. They grabbed hold of a pile of hay. Crackle! Pop! And then, Boom! Towers of flame shot up, higher, higher, punching through the roof, reaching for the sky. Voices screamed out. “Fire! Fire! Fire!” Alarm bells clanged. Firefighters readied their horses and raced their pumpers through the streets. But it was too late. The flames blasted a shower of fiery sparks into the windy sky. Like a swarm of flaming wasps, they flew through the air, starting fires wherever they landed. Shops and homes erupted in flames. Warehouses exploded. Mansions burned. Crowds of panicked people fled their houses and rushed through the streets and along the wooden sidewalks. They screamed and pushed and knocked one another down, desperate to get away from the choking smoke and broiling flames. But there was no escape. The winds blew harder. Flames shot hundreds of feet in the air, spreading across miles and miles. And in the middle of it all was eleven-year-old Oscar Starling. Oscar had never felt so terrified, not even two years ago, when a killer blizzard hit his family’s Minnesota farm. He was trapped inside a burning house, fighting for his life. He’d made it down the stairs, desperate to escape. And then, Crash! A ball of fire and cinders crashed through the window, and the house exploded in flames. And suddenly, Oscar was in the fire’s ferocious grip. The flames clawed at him, seared him, threw him to the ground. Smoke gushed up his nose and into his mouth. But the worst was the blistering heat, the feeling of being roasted alive. Was this the end? Oscar had never wanted to come to this city. And now he was sure he was going to die here.

In the months after the attacks, it was hard to imagine that life would ever go back to normal. It never will for many people, like my friend who lost her brother; like the hundreds of firefighters who have serious health problems caused by the toxic smoke and dust they breathed at Ground Zero; like the thousands who managed to escape that day, but who saw the horrors up close. Today, while the horrors of that day still linger, the city itself is more vibrant than ever. People have done their best to move forward. So why did I write this book? Because after talking to many kids, teachers, and librarians, I began to understand why so many of you asked me to. September 11 shaped the world you were born into. It’s only natural that you would be curious about it. I hope my story gives you a sense of that day — the fear and the courage, the sense of horror and shock. I will admit that in my plans for this story,

Strange,” Phoebe said, looking at the lifeboats that hung just off the deck. “There are only sixteen boats. That’s not nearly enough for everyone.

But Jess had outgrown that. And anyway, the twins weren’t so exactly alike. Eddie was quiet and serious. Sam never shut up and he had a fearless streak that sometimes got all three of them into big trouble.

More scared, even, than the time the black panther chased him through the woods back home in Millerstown, New York.

What had Dr. Latham done to deserve a beating?

And a feeling came over him, as if he’d found something he’d lost, something precious. His hope.

He is.

My leg,” Holly said weakly. “I think it’s broken. I can’t move

Rocky

And they never let him go.

Yes! The Yanks had creamed the Red Sox last night.

CHAPTER 12

Another cause, and probably more important, was the careless way the city

Eleven-year-old Danny Crane had moved to Hawaii just weeks before. Ma had brought Danny to Hawaii to get him out of trouble, away from the crime and the rats and the dirty, dangerous streets of New York City.

quiet streets of his neighborhood, his dog, Zeke, trotting right beside him. He was studying an arrow-

streets of his neighborhood, his dog, Zeke, trotting right beside him. He was studying an arrow-shaped cloud in the bright blue sky when squealing shouts echoed from just ahead. “Dexter! Dexter! Buy some lemonade!” Two identical blond heads bounced up over a rosebush. It was the little Tucker twins, Stephanie and Bobbie.

blared.

prisoner,

The person in charge of the invasion was United States General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and he had to make the final decision to say “go” to the invasion.

Theo’s

Pierre was gasping so much he could barely speak. “Victor’s been shot.” “Where is Marie?” Mr. Leon said, his voice barely a whisper. Tears poured down Pierre’s tough-guy face. “Marie is dead.

Hitler takes his own life.

And they were heading right for it.

she wanted him checked out before he was cleared to play. “I’m fine,” Lucas

elk

Colleen had this idea -- a faded, crumpled, smudged idea -- that being nice counted for something.

Some of the world’s richest and most famous people flew on the Graf Zeppelin and the Hindenburg,

were

you!” Leonor

One must not panic or struggle when trying to get free from a rope …

It wasn’t until much later, when the sun came up, that Carmen finally let go.

carriage.

Half of all US tornadoes hit in the central plains;

Holly was strangely silent. Her head lolled. “Holly!” he screamed. “Holly!” But she didn’t open her eyes.

He loved when Nate sang shanties — the songs sailors crooned as they did their work.

But there was more. “And we showed that Americans are willing to fight the most powerful army in the world. We showed that we can hold our ground.

The ships were anchored about eight miles from here, off Staten Island.

But tornadoes form deep inside the clouds, hidden from satellites and radar. We don’t know a tornado is coming until someone actually sees it with their own eyes.

Tell you what,” Dr. Gage said. “Why don’t you and your dad come along with me tomorrow?

They were alike, Dex realized

They were alike, Dex realized.

Nate tried not to stare at Paul, but he kept thinking of the devilish teenager who’d clowned around on Papa’s ships. He’d sneak vinegar into the men’s canteens. He’d taught the ship’s parrot to cuss in French. Nobody drove Papa and his men crazier — or made them laugh harder.

But he was fine keeping mostly to himself.

was so scared I wet my pants!

The naval base was just five minutes from their house. There had to be a hundred warships crowded into the harbor with their guns ready to blast away. The best were the eight battleships. They were huge — like skyscrapers turned on their sides. Ma said the battleship guns were so powerful that one blast could blow an entire house to smithereens.

But then Clem was taken, and those pictures went dark. Just thinking about Clem gave Thomas a searing pain, even worse than the lash of Mr. Knox’s whip.

And like that little snake, Thomas and Birdie disappeared into the shadowy forest.

But then Mr. Knox caught him. He noticed that Clem wasn’t in the fields when he was supposed to be, and he found him up at the house, his ear close to the window. He saw all the words written in the dirt.” “What did he do?” Thomas glanced at Henry. He hadn’t meant to tell this part. He tried never to think about it. “He whipped him.” Thomas closed his eyes, trying to stop the flood of memories — the thwack of Mr. Knox’s whip, Clem’s shouts of pain, the sight of Clem’s blood-soaked shirt. “Clem couldn’t walk for two weeks.” “For learning to read?” Henry said, his eyes blazing with anger and shock. “Yes, sir,” Thomas said.

would come close to how it would feel to be in the middle of a wildfire — with no

played ball

But Dewey didn’t look at him. He was looking at something downstream. He had a strange look on his face. And then Chet saw it too: a gray triangle sticking up through the water, heading right for Dewey.

9.2 earthquake

And then the world went black.