Children’s story books are known not only for their fun and fantastical story lines, but also for the meaningful messages they leave behind. Whether your favorite childhood books are still on your shelf or you’ve begun passing them along to the next generation, you’ll never forget the imagination, life lessons, and excitement they’ve inspired. So if you’re looking for the best children’s book quotes to reminisce on or pass on to your children, we’ve collected our favorites for you here.
Jump to:
- Famous Quotes From Children’s Books
- Children’s Books: Good Quotes For Kids
- Quotes About Change And Growing Up From Children’s Books
Famous Quotes From Children’s Books
These children’s book quotes stand alone as famous words of wisdom for any generation. The following quotes can be saved for an extra special reminder, or read every night to your child while they’re wrapped up in bed with their favorite teddy bear.
- “You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” – Alice in Wonderland
- “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on Earth should that mean that it is not real?” – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- “There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name.” – The Tale of Despereaux
- “There’s no place like home.” – The Wizard of Oz
- “Believing takes practice.” – A Wrinkle in Time
Children’s Books: Good Quotes For Kids
Sometimes sentiments and insight from children’s books are not only nice to read on paper, but good for the soul itself. The following excerpts are great quotes for kids on everything from kindness to the little joys of life itself. And if you like these messages, check out our list of the most inspirational quotes about life.
Kindness Quotes For Kids
- “When someone is crying, of course, the noble thing to do is to comfort them. But if someone is trying to hide their tears, it may also be noble to pretend you do not notice them.” – A Series of Unfortunate Events
- “Keep all your promises, don’t take what doesn’t belong to you, and always look after those less fortunate than yourself, and you’ll do well in the world.” – The Dragon of Lonely Island
- “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” – The Twits
- “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – The Lion and the Mouse
- “Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always try to be a little kinder than is necessary?” – The Little White Bird
Friendship Quotes For Kids
- “And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.” – Where the Wild Things Are
- “You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” – Charlotte’s Web
- “Finally the Rainbow Fish has only one shining scale left. His most prized possessions had been given away, yet he was very happy.” – The Rainbow Fish
- “Frog said, ‘I wrote “Dear Toad, I am glad that you are my best friend. Your best friend, Frog.”’ ‘Oh,’ said Toad, ‘that makes a very good letter.’ Then Frog and Toad went out onto the front porch to wait for the mail. They sat there, feeling happy together.” – Frog and Toad Are Friends
Leadership Quotes For Kids
- “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.” – The Little Prince
- “Sometimes, I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
- “For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.” – The Magician’s Nephew
- “But then I realized, what do they really know? This is MY idea, I thought. No one knows it like I do. And it’s okay if it’s different, and weird, and maybe a little crazy.” – What Do You Do With an Idea?
- “Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child, Listen to the DON’TS Listen to the SHOULDN’TS The IMPOSSIBLES, the WONT’S Listen to the NEVER HAVES Then listen close to me— Anything can happen, child, ANYTHING can be.” – Where the Sidewalk Ends
- “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – The Lorax
Children’s Quotes About Life
- “You must never feel badly about making mistakes … as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.” – The Phantom Tollbooth
- “Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – The Minpins
- “You can’t pick out the pieces and leave the rest. Being part of the whole thing, that’s the blessing.” – Tuck Everlasting
- “We all can dance,” he said, “if we find the music that we love.” – Giraffes Can’t Dance
Quotes About Change And Growing Up From Children’s Books
Children go through so many changes in their young lives, it can often feel overwhelming. Whether it’s a graduation or life transition, it’s always nice to offer words of comfort. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next birthday card or graduation note, we’ve collected our favorite children’s book quotes about change and growing up for you below.
Quotes About Children Growing Up
- “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” – Peter Pan
- “Words can be worrisome, people complex, motives and manners unclear. Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right, free from unkindness and fear.” – Blueberry Girl
- “I know you’ll be kind… and clever… and bold. And the bigger your heart, the more it will hold. When nights are black and when days are gray—you’ll be brave and be bright so no shadows can stay. And become anybody that you’d like to be. And then I’ll look at you and you’ll look at me and I’ll love you, whoever you’ve grown up to be.” – The Wonderful Things You Will Be
- “And so for a time it looked as if all the adventures were coming to an end; but that was not to be.” – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Quotes About Babies Growing Up
- “It doesn’t happen all at once,” he said. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” – The Velveteen Rabbit
- “I wished she’d never stop squeezing me. I wished I could spend the rest of my life as a child, being slightly crushed by someone who loved me.” – Ella Enchanted
- “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.” – Love You Forever
Quotes For Middle Schoolers
- “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.” – A Wrinkle in Time
- “I shall find out thousands and thousands of things!” – The Secret Garden
- “Be who you are and say how you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Cat in the Hat
- “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Graduation Quotes For Kids
- “Please don’t go, we’ll eat you up, we love you so!” – Where the Wild Things Are
- “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Little Women
- “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” – Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Additional Quotes and Resources
If you liked this guide and want more inspiration, you might also love our other quotes and sayings resources:
