The First Lines The First Lines

““In an old, brown house in In an old, brown house in Paris that was covered with Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.”in two straight lines.”

Ludwing BebelmansLudwing Bebelmans

““In the great green room, there In the great green room, there was a telephone and a red was a telephone and a red balloon.”balloon.”

Margaret Wise BrownMargaret Wise Brown

““This is George. He lived in Africa.”This is George. He lived in Africa.”

H.A. ReyH.A. Rey

““Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. ding-dong, ding-dong.”ding-dong, ding-dong.”

Watty PiperWatty Piper

““Here is Edward Bear, coming Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels , that there sometimes he feels , that there really is another way, if only really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.”moment and think of it.”

A.A. MilneA.A. Milne

Winnie the PoohWinnie the Pooh

““Here is James Henry Trotter when Here is James Henry Trotter when he was about four years old. Up he was about four years old. Up until this time, he had had a until this time, he had had a happy life, living peacefully with happy life, living peacefully with his mother and father in a his mother and father in a beautiful house beside the sea.”beautiful house beside the sea.”

Roald DahlRoald Dahl

“ “ Dorothy lived in the midst of the Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies with Uncle great Kansas prairies with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s wife. Their house was small, for wife. Their house was small, for the timber to build it had to be the timber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles.”carried by wagon many miles.”

L. Frank BaumL. Frank Baum

““Where’s Papa going with that ax?” Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for were setting the table for breakfast.”breakfast.”

E.B. WhiteE.B. White

““Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”normal, thank you very much.”

J.K. RowlingJ.K. Rowling

““On Christmas Eve, many years On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound—a sound a listening for a sound—a sound a friend told me I’d never hear—the friend told me I’d never hear—the ringing of bells of Santa’s sleigh.”ringing of bells of Santa’s sleigh.”

Chris van AllsburghChris van Allsburgh

““The sun did not shine. It was too The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet house. All that cold, cold, wet day.”day.”

Dr. SeussDr. Seuss

Alice was beginning to get very tired Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank of sitting by her sister on the bank and of having nothing to do: once and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” it, “and what is the use of a book,” thought thought Alice, “without pictures or Alice, “without pictures or conversations?”conversations?”

Lewis CarrollLewis Carroll

““All children, except one, grow up.”All children, except one, grow up.”

James M. BarrieJames M. Barrie

““If you are interested in stories with If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be happy endings, you would be better off reading some other better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle.” happy things in the middle.”

Lemony SnicketLemony Snicket

““It was seven o’clock of a very It was seven o’clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee warm evening in the Seeonee hills when Father Wolf woke up hills when Father Wolf woke up from his day’s rest, scratched from his day’s rest, scratched himself, yawned, and spread out himself, yawned, and spread out his paws one after the other to his paws one after the other to get rid of the sleepy feeling in get rid of the sleepy feeling in their tips.”their tips.”

Rudyard KiplingRudyard Kipling

The Jungle BookThe Jungle Book

““Once there were four children Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy”Edmond, and Lucy”

C.S. LewisC.S. Lewis

““Ba-room, ba-room, ba-room, Ba-room, ba-room, ba-room, baripity, baripity, baripity, baripitybaripity, baripity, baripity, baripity --- Good.”--- Good.”

Katherine PatersonKatherine Paterson

““Now remember,” Mother said, Now remember,” Mother said, “your father and I are bringing “your father and I are bringing some guests by after the opera, some guests by after the opera, so please keep the house neat.”so please keep the house neat.”

Chris van AllsburghChris van Allsburgh

““These two very old people are the These two very old people are the father and mother of Mr. Bucket. father and mother of Mr. Bucket. Their names are Grandpa Joe and Their names are Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine.”Grandma Josephine.”

Roald DahlRoald Dahl

““My name is India Opal Buloni, and My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a tomatoes and I came back with a dog.”dog.”

Kate DiCamilloKate DiCamillo

““Not long ago, there lived in Not long ago, there lived in London a young married couple of London a young married couple of Dalmatian dogs named Pongo Dalmatian dogs named Pongo and Misses Pongo.”and Misses Pongo.”

Dodie SmithDodie Smith

““When Mrs. Frederick C. Little’s When Mrs. Frederick C. Little’s second son arrived, everybody second son arrived, everybody noticed that he was not much noticed that he was not much bigger than a mouse.”bigger than a mouse.”

E.B. WhiteE.B. White