Sometimes teachers think I am not paying attention, but what they mean is that I am not paying attention to them. I pay attention to lots of other things like what is happening outside the windows, and the noises in the room like the humming and the tapping and the snapping and the sniffling, and all the smells ... (p. 1-2)

Mangata, a Swedish word meaning the path-like reflection of the moon over water. (p. 73)

See the way the sun comes through the leaves? That filtered light coming through - that's komorebi. [of Japanese origin] (p. 96)

Experiment: Choose a word from the word list - any random word - and write down anything that comes to mind, maybe something the words reminds you of or something you imagine.

Write very fast, jotting down whatever pops into your head. Don't stop to correct spelling or think. Just keep going and going, even if you have to write, 'I'm stuck, I'm stuck, I'm stuck.' I'll time you. Five minutes. This. Is. Not. Graded."

Miss Lightstone sat at her desk, with her own pencil poised. "I'll do it, too. Remember, don't stop writing. Just capture anything that pops into your head - or your pencil." (p. 104-05)

And what if 'What could you be?' didn't have anything at all to do with your job? What if it means what kind of person you would be and what contributions you could or would make to the wider world around you?

I looked around the room. Why couldn't we all do noble things, important thhings? Why wouldn't we?

Why wouldn't I? (p. 125)