It is a little-known secret that some small animals keep diaries of their adventures.
-- The Author, William Wise (Author's Note paragraph 1)

Importance: This is an early example of the author using personification. The device gives the mouse the human quality of keeping a diary. The entire story is the diary of a small white mouse named Christopher.

Some owners are good -- though I suspect not many of them -- and some owners are wicked.
-- Christopher's Mother (Chapter 1: At Mrs. Crimmins's Place paragraph 1)

Importance: Christopher's mother is trying to explain how she feels about Mrs. Crimmins. She believes Mrs. Crimmins is somewhere between good and wicked, which gives Christopher the base upon which he will make his decisions about his future owners.

Why will she come to fetch me?
-- Christopher (Chapter 1: At Mrs. Crimmins's Place paragraph 2)

Importance: Christopher wants to know why Mrs. Crimmins will fetch them and what will happen to them. His question pushes his mother to answer the question and to inform all her children that they will soon be taken from...