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For a Personalized Autographed copy of “STRAWBERRIES IN WINTERTIME” or “WOODEN & ME” use the PayPal link on my home page or mail a check for $25 to:
Woody Woodburn
400 Roosevelt Court
Ventura, CA 93003
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Hip Hooray, “Read Across America Day”!
Moms and pops, girls and boys! I yell / Let’s honor Mr. Theodor Geisel
Born long ago on this very date / As Dr. Seuss he was beyond great
Even if you are no book lover / Turn the pages inside a cover
Nationwide in libraries, I say / It’s “Read Across America Day”!
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While a memorable opening sentence – think Charles Dickens’ “It was the best of time, it was the worst of times…” in A Tale of Two Cities – can hook a reader, I thought it would be fun to flip to the final pages and share some terrific ending sentences. Here goes . . .
“But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.” – The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
“ ‘Have a carrot,’ said the mother bunny.” – The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
“The scar had not pained Harry for 19 years. All was well.” – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
“But in the world according to Garp, we are all terminal cases.” – The World According to Garp by John Irving
“Oh, my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this!” – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
“I’m so glad to be home again.” – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
“ ‘I guess, said he at last, ‘that I’m not so smart as I thought I was, and I’ve got a lot to learn yet.’ ” – The Adventures of Buster Bear by Thornton W. Burgess
“And it was still hot.” – Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
“Over the river a golden ray of sun came through the hosts of leaden rain clouds.” – The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
“After all, tomorrow is another day.” – Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
“And in the Provincelands, treasures still lie.” – Fog by Ken McAlpine
“ ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Isn’t it pretty to think so?” The Sun Also Rises by Earnest Hemingway
“The old man was dreaming about the lions.” – The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway
“He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning.” – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
“I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I been there before.” – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
“But the sky was bright, and he somehow felt he was headed in the right direction.” – Stuart Little by E.B. White
“He loved Big Brother.” — 1984 by George Orwell
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“She looked up and across the barn, and her lips came together and smiled mysteriously.” – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
“Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.” – Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
“Carol,” he said softly, “you sparkle in that gray dress.” – Woman, Running Late, In A Dress by Dallas Woodburn
“It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.” – Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
“Should we tell her about it?/ Now, what should we do? Well… What would you do / If your mother asked you?” – The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
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Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com.
Check out my memoir WOODEN & ME: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” and my essay collection “Strawberries in Wintertime: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” …
- Personalized signed copies are available at WoodyWoodburn.com