Hilary McKay Quotes

• Fishing in a bucket. The total hopelessness of the activity was very soothing. It was the perfect sport. Without the emotional stresses of success and failure, she was entirely free to enjoy the pleasures of the moment... It was a good hobby, and cheap, and if more people did it more often

  Hilary McKay

  Sports, Stress, Emotional

  7 Copy quote

• Humans cannot fly, but they can get the flying feeling. All they need to do is go out at night into a wild storm where the thunder roars like applause and the lightning throws itself in daggers of light at your bare feet and you suddenly find you are not afraid.

  Hilary McKay

  Night, Light, Feet

  Hilary McKay (2007). “Caddy Ever After”, p.35, Simon and Schuster

  5 Copy quote

• Saffy could tell by the feel of the darkness that Caddy was awake. She said, "Caddy, how far back can you remember?" "Oh," said Caddy, "ages. I can remember when I could only lie flat. On my back. I can remember how pleased I was when I learned to roll over.

  Hilary McKay

  Lying, Darkness, Age

  4 Copy quote

• Kiran says (the shelf) is full of stories. If it is, then I like fairy stories. Fairy stories are fair. In them wishes are granted, words are enchanted, the honest and brave make it safely through to the last page and the baddies either have to give up their wickedness for ever and ever, no going back, or get ruthlessly written out of the story, which they hardly ever survive. Also in fairy stories there are hardly any of those half-good half-bad people that crop up so constantly in real life and are so difficult to believe in.

  Hilary McKay

  Giving Up, Real, Believe

  4 Copy quote

• Darling Daddy, This is Rose. So flames went all up the kitchen wall. Saffron called the fire brigade and the police came too to see if it was a trick and the police woman said to Saffron Here You Are Again because of when I got lost having my glasses checked. But I was with Tom whose grandmother is a witch on top of the highest place in town. Love, Rose.

  Hilary McKay

  Wall, Grandmother, Fire

  8 Copy quote

• Darling Daddy, This is Rose. The shed needs new wires now it has blown up. Caddy is bringing home rock-bottom boyfriends to see if they will do for Mummy. Instead of you. Love, Rose.

  Hilary McKay

  Home, Rocks, Daddy

  Hilary Mckay (2013). “Casson Family: Indigo's Star”, p.58, Hachette UK

  4 Copy quote

• Make a wish," said Indigo. Rose made a wish and then asked, "Why?" "That's what I always do. Wish on the moving ones." "Does it matter how fast they move?" "I don't think so." "Can you wish on airplanes, too?" "Oh, yes.

  Hilary McKay

  Moving, Airplane, Thinking

  Hilary McKay (2004). “Indigo's Star”, p.13, Simon and Schuster

  8 Copy quote

• On the board was a list of words and phrases which her mother considered not suitable for use in college T-shirt design. She had been asked about them so often that in the end she had started a blacklist of banned words to which everyone could refer. Every time someone thought of a new one, she unflinchingly wrote it down... Rose read through the list, and turned back to her letter. These are the words I learned to spell in Mummy's art class today, she wrote, and sighed a little as she began the tedious job of copying from the board.

  Hilary McKay

  Mother, Art, Jobs

  4 Copy quote

• Rose had the sort of eyes that manage perfectly well with things close by, but entirely blur out things far away. Because of this even the brightest stars had only appeared as silvery smudges in the darkness. In all her life, Rose had never properly seen a star. Tonight there was a sky full. Rose looked up, and it was like walking into a dark room and someone switching on the universe.

  Hilary McKay

  Stars, Eye, Dark

  7 Copy quote

• I can only drive slowly." "That's all right." "And I can only do left turns." Rose ran downstairs, grabbed a road atlas, and ran triumphantly back up again. "Wales is left! Look! It's left all the way!

  Hilary McKay

  Rose, Looks, Atlas

  Hilary McKay (2002). “Saffy's Angel”, p.135, Simon and Schuster

  4 Copy quote

• Suddenly Saffron had a picture in her mind of Sarah waiting at the bottom of the wall, and she was angry with herself. Something changed in Saffron at that moment. She knew all about feeling left out.... That was why she wanted her angel so badly; proof that she mattered as much as anyone else. "I couldn't really climb the wall," she said. "And if I could, what if I got caught? What would I say?" "You'd think of something." "No. It was a stupid idea. Let's try your way, early in the morning." "Before breakfast?" "Yes. All right Mission Control?" "All right," said Sarah. "All right, Superhero.

  Hilary McKay

  Morning, Wall, Stupid

  9 Copy quote

• He likes driving very fast on the wrong side of the road," said Sarah. "Which I can completely understand.

  Hilary McKay

  Likes, Sides, Driving

  Hilary McKay (2003). “Saffy's Angel”, Margaret K. McElderry Books

  4 Copy quote

• She had to go," said Rose. "It was because of her angel," said Indigo. "And because of Granddad," added Caddy. "And because of her nose stud." "And because her name isn't on the color chart." "She's lonely," said Rose. "That's why.

  Hilary McKay

  Lonely, Angel, Color

  4 Copy quote

• She'll soon forget." "Caddy," said Saffron impatiently, "she is headmistress of the private school! She's probably never forgotten anything in her whole life!

  Hilary McKay

  School, Saffron, Forget

  Hilary McKay (2002). “Saffy's Angel”, p.64, Simon and Schuster

  7 Copy quote

• The house had a name. The Banana House. It was carved onto a piece of sandstone above the front door. It made no sense to anyone.

  Hilary McKay

  Doors, Names, House

  Hilary McKay (2002). “Saffy's Angel”, p.12, Simon and Schuster

  8 Copy quote

• It had not seemed to matter that Rose was only eight years old. "More than eight," said Rose. "Nearly nine." "Darling Rose, even almost nearly nine-year-old's don't fall in love," said forgetful Caddy. Caddy tried very hard to comfort Rose when Tom had left. It was not an easy job. It was like trying to comfort a small, unhappy tiger. "Who said anything about falling in love?" growled Rose crossly. "Falling! Falling is by accident! I didn't fall in anything!" "Oh. Right. Sorry, Posy Rose." "And I am definitely not in love!

  Hilary McKay

  Falling In Love, Jobs, Sorry

  4 Copy quote

• Once, when Tom was over here, to tease Rose, I asked him, "Before she was born, can you remember? Were things just the same as they are these days? Did it still rain and get dark and all the stuff it does now? Did the sun go up and down in exactly the same way?" Yes," Tom said, and then he smiled at Rose and said, "No. Not really. Not exactly the same way.

  Hilary McKay

  Rain, Dark, Rose

  Hilary McKay (2007). “Caddy Ever After”, p.68, Simon and Schuster

  4 Copy quote

• How can I give you nothing? Do you seriously expect me to buy nothing, wrap up nothing, stick a gift tag on nothing, send a card saying I really hope you like your nothing and lie awake worrying that the nothing I got you was the right color nothing you always anted? Have a heart!

  Hilary McKay

  Lying, Heart, Color

  Hilary McKay (2007). “Caddy Ever After”, p.179, Simon and Schuster

  4 Copy quote

• He will grow up into one of those people who lean back to smile and jump so easily it looks like slow motion and steer cars with their knees and snitch roses from gardens to give to girls and write with their left hand and own two pairs of jeans and one jacket and fall in love from such a height and so hard and so completely that they never quite recover from the drop. But at least he will have me to look out for him.

  Hilary McKay

  Girl, Falling In Love, Growing Up

  35 Copy quote

• Don't call me darling. I'm a driving instructor!

  Hilary McKay

  Driving, Darling, Call Me

  Hilary McKay (2002). “Saffy's Angel”, p.20, Simon and Schuster

  4 Copy quote

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