Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux

"The world is dark, and light is precious.Come closer, dear reader.You must trust me.I am telling you a story."

"Reader, do you think it is a terrible thing to hope when there is really no reason to hope at all? Or is it (as the soldier said about happiness) something that you might just as well do, since,in the end, it really makes no difference to anyone but you?"

"And hope is like love...a ridiculous, wonderful, powerful thing."