Top 30 Quotes by K. A. Applegate

I grew up in an affluent suburban world and never worried about money until I'd grown up and found wonderfully original ways to screw up my life.

Stan is a rescue Chihuahua mix. He was the role model for Bob, the dog in 'Ivan.' The drawings in the book look precisely like Stan.

I think younger readers connect so readily to animal characters because they share a certain vulnerability, particularly when it comes to adult humans, who can be a rather unpredictable lot.

Gorillas may seem terrifying because of their bodies, but they are really magnificent and very gentle.

When we have financial struggles, kids are so much more aware of things than we want them to be.

Hunger and homelessness aren't things we always want to talk about.

That penetrating gaze, that intelligence; it's hard not to be anthropomorphic when you're looking at a great ape - at any primate - but especially with gorillas. They're just so magnificent.

What do we lose without wild animal acts at the circus? Absolutely nothing, except the opportunity to be haunted and heartbroken.

When I was a child, going to a circus with wild animal acts was a rite of passage. These days, it's an act of complicit cruelty.

I was sure I wanted to grow up to be either a veterinarian or a writer. In fact, I worked for a vet during high school, doing everything from cleaning cages to assisting in surgery.