Reading one book is like eating one potato chip
The author introduces Nita as a nerdy and studious 13-year-old girl who cannot let any book pass her without perusing to see its contents. According to Mrs. Lesser, for Nita, "reading one book is like eating one potato chip." The simile is interesting and significant because it reflects the life of Nita. Nita confirms that her true friends are books because they teach her something new daily. Consequently, reading one book is not enough for her because it is like eating one potato chip, which is not satisfactory.
Eye of a bee (Metaphor)
To signify the need for Nita to keep herself busy and preoccupied, the author metaphorically uses a bee's eye. Nita is lonely because she does not have any friends. However, Nita finds a new friendship with books. The author writes, "Life that was getting too much the same could be shaken up in a few minutes by the picture in a book of some ancient temple newly discovered deep in a rain forest, a fuzzy photo of Uranus with its up-and-down rings, or a prismed picture taken through the faceted eye of a bee." The simile is vital because it expresses what Nita loves and what keeps her company. Significantly, Nita is anxious about knowing something new daily.
Carrying swords like sharpened lines of light
While reading some of her favorite books, Nita gets attracted to the determination of princes and heroes to defend their territories using swords. The novel states: "Princess and heroes carrying swords like sharpened lines of light." Consequently, the simile shows some inspirations that make Nita love books. For instance, one of Nita's goals is to be confident and defend herself from bullies. She looks forward to formulating a strategy on how to become a wizard with magical powers to deal accordingly with her enemies.