Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware Quotes

“I have this weird, bad feeling," said another boy. "In my feeling parts. Like something bad is going to happen.”
― M.T. Anderson, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware

“Each of us hides our own private Delaware lost in the gray jungle-tangle of our brains. No one else can know its depths and byways. No one else can know the height of its towers, the secrets of its tides and pools. There will always be lost lagoons to find there, and ruins almost hidden by the sand. There will always be monsters of great beauty and good men with ugly frowns. The forests are dark but lights bob among the branches. You are at home there, more at home than anyplace else, and yet you will never go there in your life. Their legends are yours. The pirates sale around the cape, a crew of skeletons in the rigging. Milkmaids run down mountain passes, dragging kites behind them. Wizards crack their backs after long days of chalk and incantation while above the crowded bazaars, over the golden temples, against the setting sun, around the ruddy minarets, the pterodactyls call out a long farewell.”
― M.T. Anderson, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware

“Tomorrow is the benefit dinner for the Save the Chameleon Fund. The Decentville Zoo thinks their chameleons are either dead, missing, or plaid.”
― M.T. Anderson, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware

“Lily knew what he meant. She loved places that people had forgotten, like the old gas station rotting on the edge of the forest in Pelt, all gray wood and brown metal. She liked to walk there sometimes and imagine that during tempests the king of the forest, dry leaves swirling around his motorcycle, would skid to a halt and demand unleaded gas from shadowy attendants while a mossy-faced knight sat in his sidecar.”
― M.T. Anderson, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware

“Jasper was clearly impressed. "Katie," he said, "I didn't realize you knew so much about dinosaurs."

"Yeah," said Katie resentfully. "I had to redo a class project on them when I was in fifth grade. They asked us to make a model of a dinosaur, so I made one by covering one of my old Star-Wonder Glitter Ponies with clay. You know, I gave him wings and stuff. The teacher didn't like it because he said there wasn't a real dinosaur that had wings and four legs. And a pink-and-blue sparkly mane. He gave me a D-minus and said it was a sad day for paleontology.”
― M.T. Anderson, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware

“Perhaps," said Jasper shyly, "you would like some Gargletine Instant Breakfast Drink?"

Katie fixed him with a long, level stare. Gargletine TM caused hysteria in lab rats and took the brown off horses. "Maybe not," said Katie. "But thanks.”
― M.T. Anderson, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware

“Jasper pointed out, "We've passed that statue seven times in the last hour."
"Very popular," said Bntno. "Who don't like that statue?"
"We're going in circles," said Jasper.
"Not circles," said Bntno. "Irregular polygons."
"Oh, come on!" complained Katie.
"No," said Jasper ruefully, "he's right. Maybe a trapezoid.”
― M.T. Anderson, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware

“It is a land of Wonders!
It is a land of Mystery.
It is a land that Time Forgot (or chose specifically not to remember).
Cut off from the civilized world for untold years, this land is called:
Delaware.”
― M.T. Anderson, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware

“Lily asked, "What do you mean when you say Number One's eyes were different?"

"Like a cat's eyes. You know what a cat's eyes look like?"

"No," said Katie. "Because my cat is so completely lazy I've never seen her eyes actually open."

"Which?" said Lily. "Trish?"

"She didn't move for a week. Dad thought she was dead. We were about to bury her when someone noticed the chicken was missing from the counter.”
― M.T. Anderson, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware