R. J. Palacio quotes

If you tell stories about a really cool kid that you can relate to, and then you hear about kids being mean to that kid, then you feel what it is like to walk in his shoes. And you think, that is not right. I think the best way to write is to want to build empathy for your characters. You want the readers to feel the things they are feeling. (R. J. Palacio)
Given a chance, most children will do the right thing. I was hoping to make them aware that sometimes all it takes is a nice word to really make someone else's day. Consequently, a thoughtless remark can really hurt someone's feelings. View quote
R. J. Palacio
You can't blend in when you were born to stand out. View quote
R. J. Palacio
Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness. View quote
R. J. Palacio
I wish everyday could be Halloween. We could all wear masks all the time. Then we could walk around and get to know each other before we got to see what we looked like under the masks. View quote
R. J. Palacio
One mistake does not define you. View quote
R. J. Palacio
If every person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary - the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God. View quote
R. J. Palacio
Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed. View quote
R. J. Palacio
There are always going to be jerks in the world . . . [but] there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other. View quote
R. J. Palacio
It's not enough to be friendly. You have to be a friend. View quote
R. J. Palacio
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse. (R. J. Palacio)
Learning who you are is what you're here to do. View quote
R. J. Palacio
My mom smiled at me. Her smile kind of hugged me. View quote
R. J. Palacio
Sometimes you don't have to mean to hurt someone to hurt someone. View quote
R. J. Palacio
Some things you just can't explain. You don't even try. You don't know where to start. All your sentences would jumble up like a giant knot if you opened your mouth. Any words you used would come out wrong. View quote
R. J. Palacio
The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they've died. They're like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honor the pharaohs. Only instead of being made of stone, they're made out of the memories people have of you. View quote
R. J. Palacio
That's how it is in heaven. It's just love, and no one forgets who they love. View quote
R. J. Palacio
Don't be friends with jerks. View quote
R. J. Palacio
Just follow the day and reach for the sun! View quote
R. J. Palacio
Or whatever politically correct spiritual representation of universal goodness you happen to believe in. View quote
R. J. Palacio
I actually like how doctors talk. I like the sound of science. I like how words you don't understand explain things you can't understand. (R. J. Palacio)