“Ten Best Sentences”

The American Scholar posted their list of the 10 Best Sentences ranging from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Charles Dickens and while all are very interesting and debatably the best, I would love to see a similar list for children’s literature.  What would be on it?

Most likely something from Dr. Seuss, Margaret Wise Brown, C.S. Lewis and maybe others especially from the Newbery list, but what about those books that slide through the “best” list?  What about those books that make you pause and think because the words and rhythm and imagery is so amazing you just have to stop and think?  A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd is one such book.  Lloyd uses beautiful language to create an amazing story to read.

“The way he said her name made my heart cramp. In all my years of word collecting, I’ve learned this to be a tried and true fact: I can very often tell how much a person loves another person by the way they say their name. I think that’s one of the best feelings in the world, when you know your name is safe in another person’s mouth. When you know they’ll never shout it out like a cuss word, but say it or whisper it like a once-upon-a-time.” – A Snicker of Magic, Natalie Lloyd

Who (or what sentences) do you think would make the list?