“The best way to get kids to read a book is to say: 'This book is not appropriate for your age, and it has all sorts of horrible things in it like sex and death and some really big and complicated ideas, and you’re better off not touching it until you’re all grown up. I’m going to put it on this shelf and leave the room for a while. Don’t open it.”

“If you’re in your life, chance. Viewed from the outside, like a book you’re reading, it’s fate all the way.”

“Miles: Well, things are kind of complicated right now. When you’re a grown-up, you’ll understand.Jonah: I don’t want to be a grown-up.Miles: Why not?Jonah: Because grown-ups always say that things are complicated.”

“It makes me sad that grown up books don’t have pictures in them. You’re brought up with them when you’re younger, and then suddenly they’re all taken away.”

“Grown-ups shouldn’t finish books they’re not enjoying. When you’re no longer a child, and you no longer live at home, you don’t have to finish everything on your plate. One reward of leaving school is that you don’t have to finish books you don’t like.”

“I’m at architecture school at UCLA.”“Ooooh, I love architects. They have such big buildings.”Oh Lord, let the floor open up and suck me into the ground. Better yet, take Will.“Uh, not all of them are big. Some are quite small. It all depends on the client,” Juan says.“I’m sure yours are very, very big.”“Yeah, well, I’m still in school, so I’m not really building much other than models at the moment.” Poor Juan looks hideously uncomfortable.“I bet you’re really good with your hands, all that drawing and building.”