Who says children’s books are only for children? There’s no denying that some kids’ books have a certain timeless quality that makes them worth revisiting at any age. In fact, some of the most inspiring quotes I can think of are actually from kids’ books! If you’re looking for an uplifting or affirming message to brighten the day of your students—or yourself—you’ve certainly come to the right place. Check out our list of 36 quotes from legendary children’s books that are sure to give you some food for thought.
1. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” – Dr. Seuss, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”
2. “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “The Little Prince”
3. “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” – J.M. Barrie, “Peter Pan”
4. “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott, “Little Women”
5. “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.” – J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”
6. “‘Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you.’” – Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit”
7. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Dr. Seuss, “Horton Hears a Who!”
8. “Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow.” – Frances Hodgson Burnett, “The Secret Garden”
9. “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” – A.A. Milne, “Winnie-the-Pooh”
10. “‘It is nonsense,’ said Reason, ‘and you should know better than to listen to nonsense.’ But, nonetheless, Heart believed.” – Kate DiCamillo, “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane”
11. “All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.” – J.M. Barrie, “Peter Pan”
12. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.” – Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit”
13. “When you give someone something, you give a little part of yourself along with it.” – Astrid Lindgren, “Pippi Longstocking”
14. “There’s no place like home.” – L. Frank Baum, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
15. “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” – Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
16. “There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name.” – Kate DiCamillo, “The Tale of Despereaux”
17. “Everything you can imagine is real.” – Pam Muñoz Ryan, “Esperanza Rising”
18. “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.” – Roald Dahl, “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator”
19. “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” – Roald Dahl, “The Twits”
20. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss, “The Lorax”
21. “You must never feel badly about making mistakes… as long as you take the trouble to learn from them.” – Norton Juster, “The Phantom Tollbooth”
22. “To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” – J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”
23. “Words can be worrisome, people complex; motives and manners unclear. Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right, free from unkindness and fear.” – Neil Gaiman, “Blueberry Girl”
24. “I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be.” – Madeleine L’Engle, “A Wrinkle in Time”
25. “If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too.” – Dr. Seuss, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”
26. “You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” – Lewis Carroll, “Alice in Wonderland”
27. “What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.” – A.A. Milne, “The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”
28. “I’ll be looking at the moon, but I’ll be seeing you.” – Michael Morpurgo, “Private Peaceful”
29. “Sometimes, I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Caroll, “Through the Looking-Glass”
30. “So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.” – Norton Juster, “The Phantom Tollbooth”
31. “‘You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.’” – E.B. White, “Charlotte’s Web”
32. “And so for a time it looked as if all the adventures were coming to an end; but that was not to be.” – C.S. Lewis, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”
33. “The more he gave away, the more delighted he became.” – Marcus Pfister, “The Rainbow Fish”
34. “One can never have enough socks.” – J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”
35. “Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind.” – C.S. Lewis, “The Magician’s Nephew”
36. “‘There’s no use trying,’ Alice said. ‘One can’t believe impossible things.’ ‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen.” – Lewis Carroll, “Through the Looking-Glass”
44 Character-Building Journal Prompts For Students 