Claudia and the Terrible Truth Quotes

“I thought of Joey and Nate. Had they been happy babies too or had they always been nervous and shy? I had a feeling I knew the answer. Their personalities probably had a lot to do with the environment they’d grown up in.

Mr. Nicholls was not exactly the sweet, loving, supportive type of parent I was used to, but I didn’t want to judge him. I knew he was probably raising his kids the way he believed was right. Every parent has different ideas about how to bring up good kids.”
― Ann M. Martin, Claudia and the Terrible Truth

“I wonder if the personality you have as a baby stays with you. My mom tells me that I started making finger paintings with my strained carrots and mashed peas. “An artist right from the beginning,” she says.

I looked around the room at my friends, trying to picture each of them as a baby. Had their infant personalities followed them as they grew?”
― Ann M. Martin, Claudia and the Terrible Truth

“Who left this open on the counter?” he asked in a very quiet voice. For a second, nobody answered.

“I said, who left the peanut butter open on the counter?” Now his voice was much louder. The boys didn’t answer. I saw them draw closer together. I was so surprised that I couldn’t say a word.

“I’m going to ask one more time,” said Mr. Nicholls. And then he began to shout. “WHO LEFT THE —”

“I did,” I said quickly. “It was me. I’m sorry. I was making us a snack when the doorbell rang, and —”

“No problem,” said Mr. Nicholls calmly. “Please forgive me for hollering. I thought it was one of my dumb, slobby sons who did it.”

I was shocked. I’d never heard a parent talk that way.”
― Ann M. Martin, Claudia and the Terrible Truth

“didn’t like Mr. Nicholls, it wasn’t as if he were doing anything illegal. And when I told them that I wouldn’t want Joey and Nate to feel as if I’d abandoned them, we agreed that I should continue sitting for them as long as I didn’t feel too uncomfortable around Mr. Nicholls.”
― Ann M. Martin, Claudia and the Terrible Truth