Gustav Gloom and the People Taker

Most of all, he wished he could ask her what it was like to live a life so special that even when she was being stuffed in a sack by the People Taker, she still had enough room in her heart to worry about how sad this would leave a boy she’d known for less than a day.

Gustav took to being hugged about as well as a tree would, except that a tree would not have given the impression that it might have preferred to run away. Nor would any tree have made as many attempts to figure out what to do with its arms.

At this rate, Fernie would not have been surprised to find out that wars had been foug

At this rate, Fernie would not have been surprised to find out that wars had been fought over it.

“If it happens once,” Gustav said, “it can happen more than once. And if it can happen more than once, it can happen all the time. It’s not my fault that you’ve never noticed it before.”