Quotations!

First: I love quotations. It's a little scary how much I love random quotations.

Second: I'm reading an amazing book right now called "The Elegance of the Hedgehog," by French author Muriel Barbery. It's probably my favorite book ever, and I'm only two-thirds finished.

Thirdly: There are several memorable quotes from this novel and a few remind me of the trials we English teachers go through. Here is an example: “A text is written above all to be read and to arouse emotions in the reader… Never mind the fact that the minds of younger kids are, I think, more open to literature than say the minds of high school or college students. Let me explain: at my age, all you need is to talk to us about something with some passion, pluck the right strings (love, rebellion, thirst for money, etc.) and you have every chance of succeeding.”

The narrator, by the way, is a super smart twelve year old girl.

Here is another: “Language is a bountiful gift and its usage, an elaboration of community and society, is a sacred work. Language and usage evolve over time: elements change, are forgotten or reborn, and while there are instances where transgression can become the source of an even greater wealth, this does not alter the fact that to be entitled to the liberties of playfulness or enlightened misusage when using language, one must first and foremost have sworn one’s total allegiance.”

*Squeeeeee!* Obviously the author is a logophile. Which is probably why her novel is becoming my favorite book. This is what all teachers should strive to elucidate to their students.