“Rules and school are tools for fools! I don't give two mules for rules.”

“Mr. Benedict: "After I woke up and composed myself, however, I realized the flowers must certainly be yours, Constance, to do with as you please. At any rate -- " Mr.Benedict broke off, for just then Constance jumped to her feet, snatched the bouquet from his desk, and hurled it into the wastebasket with all the force she could muster -- so hard that flower petals flew up out of the wastebasket like tiny pink butterflies. Then placing her hands against the wall to steady herself, she stomped one foot repeatedly into the wastebasket as if trying to put out a fire. "I see we are of the same opinion," said Mr. Benedict as Constance returned to her seat, and the others congratulated her on her judgment.”

“The power itself comes from the fact that you can do something and people can’t see you do it and what kind of responsibility do you have when you can do it. What kind of good things can you do or can you do good things from being invisible in this way?”

“Sometimes, Reynie, trouble itself is the key. - Mr. Benedict”

“Even if he did explain it, no one would believe him because no one would understand him. That's the downside to being a genius - just because you understand something doesn't mean anyone else will.”

“The missing aren't missing, they're only departed”

“She announced her age right away, for children consider their ages every bit as important as their names.”

“Children are capable of such open rudeness.”

“Is this what family is like: the feeling that everyone’s connected, that with one piece missing, the whole thing’s broken?”

“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.”

“Rules and school are tools for fools! I don't give two mules for rules.”