31 Children'S Literature Quotes

There's a special kind of magic woven into the pages of children's literature. These timeless tales not only entertain young minds but also impart invaluable lessons, sparking imagination and building character. From classic tales to contemporary stories, the quotes within them often resonate well beyond childhood. We've curated a collection of the top 31 quotes from children's literature that span generations and genres, capturing the essence of wonder, wisdom, and whimsy. Whether you're revisiting beloved favorites or discovering new gems, these quotes are sure to inspire and delight readers of all ages.

1. “Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time.” - J.M. Barrie

2. “None of the seven is really good, for the excellent reason that Australian children never are.” - Ethel Turner

3. “The great subversive works of children's literature suggest that there are other views of human life besides those of the shopping mall and the corporation. They mock current assumptions and express the imaginative, unconventional, noncommercial view of the world in its simplest and purest form. They appeal to the imaginative, questioning, rebellious child within all of us, renew our instinctive energy, and act as a force for change. This is why such literature is worthy of our attention and will endure long after more conventional tales have been forgotten.” - Alison Lurie

4. “Be generous with your smile and try not to frown.And you will see my children; your smile will never let you down ☺” - Benny Bellamacina

5. “One of my rules is never to look sideways at what other people are doing but instead, do what I feel is right.” - Annie Bryant

6. “People didn't make life, so they can't destroy it. Even if we were to wipe out every bit of life in the world, we can't touch the place life comes from. Whatever made the plants and animals and people spring up in the first place will always be there, and life will spring up again.” - Jeanne DuPrau

7. “I was glad my father was an eye-smiler. It meant he never gave me a fake smile because it's impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren't feeling twinkly yourself. A mouth-smile is different. You can fake a mouth-smile any time you want, simply by moving your lips. I've also learned that a real mouth-smile always has an eye-smile to go with it. So watch out, I say, when someone smiles at you but his eyes stay the same. It's sure to be a phony.” - Roald Dahl

8. “As Hagrid had said, what would come would come and he would have to meet it when it did.” - J.K. Rowling

9. “In the great green room, there was a telephoneAnd a red balloonAnd a picture of a cat jumping over the moon...” - Margaret Wise Brown

10. “...those of us who write for children are called, not to do something to a child, but be someone for a child.” - Katherine Paterson

11. “I don't think I'm essentially interested in children's books. I'm interested in writing, and in pictures. I'm interested in people and in children because they are people.” - Margaret Wise Brown

12. “In this modern world where activity is stressed almost to the point of mania, quietness as a childhood need is too often overlooked. Yet a child's need for quietness is the same today as it has always been--it may even be greater--for quietness is an essential part of all awareness. In quiet times and sleepy times a child can dwell in thoughts of his own, and in songs and stories of his own.” - Margaret Wise Brown

13. “Generally speaking, all true children's stories make promises to their readers. Here you are, they say, unhandy and short, and there is a big world that one day will be yours. Listen to how it happened for Cinderella once upon a time, and Jack with his beanstalk, and Aladdin with his lamp.” - John Goldthwaite

14. “I am a passenger on the spaceship Earth.” - E.L. Konigsburg

15. “I love letters from little kids. Adults never proclaim themselves 'your #1 fan!” - Lauren Baratz-Logsted

16. “Come, my child," I said, trying to lead her away. "Wish good-bye to the poor hare, and come and look for blackberries.""Good-bye, poor hare!" Sylvie obediently repeated, looking over her shoulder at it as we turned away. And then, all in a moment, her self-command gave way. Pulling her hand out of mine, she ran back to where the dead hare was lying, and flung herself down at its side in such an agony of grief as I could hardly have believed possible in so young a child."Oh, my darling, my darling!" she moaned, over and over again. "And God meant your life to be so beautiful!” - Lewis Carroll

17. “There is a tiger in my room,' said Frances.'Did he bite you?' said Father.'No,' said Frances.'Did he scratch you?' said Mother.'No,' said Frances.'Then he is a friendly tiger,' said Father. 'He will not hurt you. Go back to sleep.” - Russell Hoban

18. “Only where children gatheris there any real chance of fun.” - Mignon McLaughlin

19. “Oh, yes," nodded Pollyanna, emphatically. He [her father] said he felt better right away, that first day he thought to count 'em. He said if God took the trouble to tell us eight hundred times [in the Bible] to be glad and rejoice, He must want us to do it - SOME.” - Eleanor H. Porter

20. “It was not really Saturday night, at least it may have been, for they had long lost count of the days; but always if they wanted to do anything special they said this was Saturday night, and then they did it.” - J.M. Barrie

21. “It was a well-known fact that keeping track of time was not Parry Pretty's forte...If time were Parry's pet, it would have died tied to a tree somewhere out back long ago.” - S.J. Musgraves

22. “A wife is like a children's movie; always under-appreciated and without either, life would be incomplete” - John Steinbeck

23. “Mark my trail...” - Rudyard Kipling

24. “Once upon a time, they say, there was a girl...there was a boy...there was a person who was in trouble. And this is what she did...and what he did...and how they learned to survive it. This is what they did...and why one failed...and why another triumphed in the end. And I know that it's true, because I danced at their wedding and drank their very best wine.” - Terri Windling

25. “¿Os dais cuenta cabal de la cadena de crímenes tramados por la nena? Crimen número uno: la acusada comete allanamiento de morada. Crimen número dos: el personaje se queda con tres platos de potaje. Crimen número tres: la muy cochina destroza una sillita isabelina. Crimen número cuatro: va la dama y se limpia los zapatos en la cama... Un juez no dudaría ni un instante: «¡Diez años de presidio a esa tunante!». Pero en la historia, tal como se cuenta, la miserable escapa tan contenta mientras los niños gritan, encantados: «¡Qué bien; Ricitos de oro se ha salvado!».” - Roald Dahl

26. “Only sweet people with good virtues can go to fairyland. Those who treat others meanly and without respect can never go there.” - Janaki Sooriyarachchi

27. “Children's reading and children's thinking are the rock-bottom base upon which this country will rise. Or not rise. In these days of tension and confusion, writers are beginning to realize that books for children have a greater potential for good or evil than any other form of literature on earth.” - Theodore Geisel

28. “When I listen to you, Godwhen I do what you ask me to,I am like a treeplanted by a river,a tree full of fruitwith leaves that are always green. Ps 1(paraphrased)” - Marie-Helene Delval

29. “Don’t just teach your children to read…Teach them to question what they read.Teach them to question everything.” - George Carlin

30. “Sunny was a treat to read. It is most appealing as the story is very well done and the artwork is beautiful. I applaud the author for writing a book to meet the needs of very young children as well as children of elementary school age. I experienced many different feelings as I read the book and I know otehrs will experience the same thing. The guide to further discussion at the end of teh book will be most helpful as foster parents read this story to the children in their care.” - Theresa Macinnis Schimmel

31. “Hiçbir yerden tek ses bile duyulmuyordu. Şeftalinin üzerinde yolculuk yapmak hiç de bir uçak yolculuğuna benzemiyordu. Uçak gökyüzünde patırtılar, gürültüler çıkararak hareket eder ve o kocaman bulut dağlarına gizlenmiş duran bir şeyler varsa, uçak gelirken koşup saklanırlar. İşte bu yüzden, uçakla yolculuk edenler hiçbir şey göremezler.” - Roald Dahl