Jessi's Wish Quotes

“Before I could say a word, Becca said just what I’d been thinking: “It isn’t fair. It isn’t fair at all. Danielle is too nice.”

I held onto Becca’s hands. “No. It isn’t fair,” I agreed. “But it happened. Just like a lot of unfair things that happen. It isn’t fair that Stacey has diabetes. It isn’t fair that people sometimes tease you because your skin is darker than theirs. It isn’t fair that parents get divorced. War isn’t fair. But those things happen, and then we have to deal with them.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“On Tuesday, I saw Danielle at the Kids Club meeting. Her return was triumphant. She showed up with presents for everyone. Each member of the Kids Club, except Becca and Charlotte, got a Mickey Mouse sticker.

Danielle had chosen special presents for Becca, Charlotte, Mr. Katz, and me. For Becca, a Donald Duck T-shirt. For Charlotte, a book about Disney World. For Mr. Katz, mouse ears with “Mr. K.” written on the back. And for me, a delicate silver necklace in the shape of a star.

“It’s a wishing star,” Danielle told me. “Because you helped make one of my wishes come true. I’ll never forget that.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“Life is not fair, I had reminded myself. Everybody gets a bad break from time to time. The important thing is not what those breaks are, but how you deal with them. If I ever got as sick as Danielle, I hoped I could also be as cheerful and funny and realistic as she was.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“But when Danielle thinks of the future, she thinks of fifth grade, maybe sixth grade. She wishes to be able to graduate from Stoneybrook Elementary. When Kendra thinks of the future, she thinks of college, of being an adult, of becoming a writer. Kendra has a future. Danielle has a future, too, of course, but hers is much more uncertain.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“Dawn’s afternoons at the Baker Institute for physically disabled kids sounded fascinating. She rode to Stamford in a specially equipped van with four children from Stoneybrook who went to Baker for physical therapy, classes in the arts, and a chance to make new friends.

The bus driver was a woman who was going to college to learn to be a physical therapist. She drove the bus to earn some extra money, but the kids were more than just a job to her. She really enjoyed being with them.

“Candace is so funny,” Dawn told me. “She jokes around with the kids, and they love her. She treats all of them the way you’d treat kids who aren’t in wheelchairs or wearing braces. She’ll say to them, ‘Hurry up! I haven’t got all day,’ and the kids just giggle. Most people tiptoe around the kids like they’re going to break. And never mention their braces or anything. But if a friend of yours got new clothes, you’d make a comment, right? So if a kid gets on the bus with decorations all over the back of his wheelchair, Candace will say, ‘Your chair looks great today! I think you should go into business as a decorator.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“I helped Danielle work on her letter, even though she didn’t seem to need much help. She wanted to talk, though.

“You know what my dad says to my little brother and me each night before we go to sleep?” said Danielle. “He says, ‘Wish on the North Star.’ That’s the bright star in the sky. I never tell him, but I always make two wishes on the star. I wish that my family and I could go to Disney World. We’ve never been there. And I wish to graduate from fifth grade and go to middle school.”

When the club meeting was over, the kids ran noisily out of the room except for Danielle, whose mother picked her up. Danielle was tired and droopy. As they walked down the hall, I made a wish of my own. I wished that Danielle would recover.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“Danielle, are you afraid?” asked my sister.

“Sometimes. But I made up a rule as soon as I got home from the hospital. The rule is that I will only be sick when I’m in the hospital. When I’m at home, I’ll try to be like everyone else. That means not thinking and worrying about the leukemia all the time. I say to myself, ‘You are very strong. You are stronger than the leukemia. You will get better.’ ”

I glanced at Mr. Katz, who was smiling, but whose eyes looked awfully bright. I wasn’t surprised. I was blinking back tears myself.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“At long last, Vanessa Pike said hesitantly, “Danielle, I hope you aren’t offended or anything, but … you don’t look like yourself. And it isn’t just because of your hair. I mean, you’re so thin …”

Then I understood why the older kids seemed afraid. They were afraid for Danielle. She didn’t look the way she’d looked at the end of the last school year. The kids were comparing the Danielle who sat in front of them to their memories of a healthy Danielle.

The 3rd graders couldn’t do that, since this was the first time they’d met her. To them, she was a curiosity and not much more. To the others, she was a friend who was obviously sick.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“Danielle sat on a desk and propped her feet on a chair. The 3rd graders immediately sat on the floor around her. The older kids followed, but more slowly.

Why, I wondered, were the 4th and 5th graders so standoffish and afraid, but not the 3rd graders? Becca and Charlotte were not noted for their bravery.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“Please get better, Danielle.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“Becca and Danielle looked at each other joyously. What a pair they made: Becca, dark-skinned, shorter and chunkier than Danielle, wearing a flashy pair of jams, her thick hair arranged in ponytails; and Danielle, still pale, with the shape of a bean pole, wearing droopy jeans and her even droopier "BALD IS BEAUTIFUL" T-shirt, a blue-and-green scarf not really hiding her almost bald head.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“I had to admit that Danielle did not look wonderful, although she had probably been quite pretty before she got sick. Her face was small and thin, and her eyes were huge and brown, shaded by long lashes. Her eyes flashed when she spoke. And she smiled a lot.

On the other hand, she was painfully thin. Under her eyes were dark circles. And on her hands and arms were several bruises. Also, even if she hadn’t been wearing the T-shirt, anyone would have known she was nearly bald. She couldn’t hide that with a kerchief.

And I’m sorry to say this, but she looked pretty odd. No matter how prepared you think you are, you don’t expect to see an almost-bald 9-year-old girl. She looked like a little old man.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“And then a frail little girl peered through the doorway. She was thin (I could tell that, even though she was dressed in an oversized top and oversized jeans), and a bright red scarf covered her head. Across the front of her T-shirt were the words: "BALD IS BEAUTIFUL." She had to be Danielle Roberts.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“Kristy settled herself at a table, across from the boy.

“My name is Oliver,” the boy whispered.

“Hi, I’m Kristy.”

“Okay.” Oliver smiled. “Do you know how to spell Leonardo and Donatello?”

Kristy raised her eyebrows. Oliver couldn’t have been more than eight. “What are you working on?” asked Kristy. “A report?”

“No, a writing paragraph.”

“About famous artists?”

Oliver shook his head. “I’m writing about my heroes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” he whispered.”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish

“(Aunt Cecelia would have pulled a tissue out of her sleeve, but I let Becca be sloppy.)”
― Ann M. Martin, Jessi's Wish