I remember my own childhood vividly...I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustn't let adults know I knew. It would scare them

. . .from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things.

I think it is unnatural to think that there is such a thing as a blue-sky, white-clouded happy childhood for anybody. Childhood is a very, very tricky business of surviving it. Because if one thing goes wrong or anything goes wrong, and usually something goes wrong, then you are compromised as a human being. You're going to trip over that for a good part of your life.

Childhood is a tricky business. Usually, something goes wrong.

I had a brother who was my savior, made my childhood bearable.

There must be more to life than having everything. Judy Newman -Maurice Sendak.