105 Inspiring Book Quotes To Share With Your Students

Find one that speaks to you. 

It may be controversial to say, especially as an English teacher, but I write in my books. I’ve had students gasp at this comment, but it’s the way I read. I underline parts of the book that I like. I underline if I like the way the words sound, or as a silent “Yes!” or as a way to commit those literary quotes to my memory. This may all be a bit meta. Quoting author John Green, ”Maybe our favorite quotations say more about us than about the stories and people we’re quoting.” If you’re also inspired by the words of others, read on to find some quotes from books that speak to you.

Quotes From Books for Children

1. “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 by Emily Winfield Martin

Quotes from Books: “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 by Emily Winfield Martin

Buy it: The Wonderful Things You Will Be on Amazon

2. “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” —The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Quotes from Books: “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” —The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Buy it: The Lorax on Amazon

3. “‘It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often 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 by Margery Williams Bianco

Quotes from Books: "'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often 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 by Margery Williams Bianco

Buy it: The Velveteen Rabbit on Amazon

4. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go. …” —Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go. …” —Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Buy it: Oh, the Places You’ll Go! on Amazon

5. “Remember, what is given from the heart reaches the heart.” —What Is Given From the Heart by Patricia C. McKissack

Quotes from Books: “Remember, what is given from the heart reaches the heart.” —What Is Given From the Heart by Patricia C. McKissack

Buy it: What Is Given From the Heart on Amazon

6. “‘Why did you do all this for me?’ he asked. ‘I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.’ ‘You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.’” —Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

6. “‘Why did you do all this for me?’ he asked. ‘I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.’ ‘You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.’” —Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Buy it: Charlotte’s Web on Amazon

7. “‘He’s the strongest man in the world.’ ‘Man, yes,’ said Pippi, ‘but I am the strongest girl in the world, remember that.’” —Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren

“‘He’s the strongest man in the world.’ ‘Man, yes,’ said Pippi, ‘but I am the strongest girl in the world, remember that.’” —Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren

Buy it: Pippi Longstocking on Amazon

8. “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 by Roald Dahl

Quotes from Books: "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 by Roald Dahl

Buy it: The Twits on Amazon

9. “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” —Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Quotes from Books: “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” —Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Buy it: Peter Pan on Amazon

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10. “We all can dance when we find music that we love.” —Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

Quotes from Books: "We all can dance when we find music that we love." —Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

Buy it: Giraffes Can’t Dance on Amazon

11. “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”—Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Quotes from Books: “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”—Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Buy it: Little Women on Amazon

12. “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” —The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Quotes from Books: “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” —The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Buy it: The Little Prince on Amazon

13. “People who love each other are always connected by a very special string made of love. Even though you can’t see it with your eyes, you can feel it with your heart and know that you are always connected to everyone you love.” —The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

Quotes from Books: "People who love each other are always connected by a very special string made of love. Even though you can't see it with your eyes, you can feel it with your heart and know that you are always connected to everyone you love." —The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

Buy it: The Invisible String on Amazon

14. “Setting out on an adventure is thrilling, but coming home is even better.” —Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Quotes from Books: "Setting out on an adventure is thrilling, but coming home is even better." —Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Buy it: Where the Wild Things Are on Amazon

15. “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? by Kobi Yamada

Quotes from Books: "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? by Kobi Yamada

Buy it: What Do You Do With an Idea? on Amazon

16. “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” —Disney’s Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin by A.A. Milne

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

Buy it: Disney’s Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin on Amazon

17. “A little drop of paint lets your imagination run wild. A smudge and a smear can make magic appear.” —Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg

A little drop of paint lets your imagination run wild. A smudge and a smear can make magic appear

Buy it: Beautiful Oops! on Amazon

18. “Find your own way, you don’t have to follow the crowd. There’s only one you in this great big world.” —Only One You by Linda Kranz

Find your own way, you don’t have to follow the crowd. There’s only one you in this great big world.

Buy it: Only One You on Amazon

19. “So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.” —The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.

Buy it: The Phantom Tollbooth on Amazon

20. “You can’t expect everyone to have the same dedication as you.” —Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

You can’t expect everyone to have the same dedication as you.

Buy it: Diary of a Wimpy Kid on Amazon

21. “There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours you haven’t started wondering about yet.” —James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours you haven’t started wondering about yet.

Buy it: James and the Giant Peach on Amazon

22. “It is not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do that is the secret of happiness.” —The Annotated Peter Pan (The Centennial Edition) by J.M. Barrie

It is not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do that is the secret of happiness.

Buy it: The Annotated Peter Pan (The Centennial Edition) on Amazon

23. “The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures, and have courage when things go wrong.” —Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures, and have courage when things go wrong.

Buy it: Little House on the Prairie on Amazon

24. “How much good inside a day? Depends on how good you live ’em. How much love is inside a friend? Depends on how much you give ’em.” —A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

How much good inside a day? Depends on how good you live ’em. How much love is inside a friend? Depends on how much you give ’em.

Buy it: A Light in the Attic on Amazon

25. “Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it … yet.” —Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it … yet.

Buy it: Anne of Green Gables on Amazon

26. “I guess you can’t fight nature. We are what we are.” —I Don’t Want To Be a Frog by Dev Petty

I guess you can’t fight nature. We are what we are.

Buy it: I Don’t Want To Be a Frog on Amazon

27. “I love you right up to the moon and back.” —Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

I love you right up to the moon and back.

Buy it: Guess How Much I Love You on Amazon

28. “Inside all of us is Hope. Inside all of us is Fear. Inside all of us is Adventure. Inside all of us is … A Wild Thing.” —Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Inside all of us is Hope. Inside all of us is Fear. Inside all of us is Adventure. Inside all of us is ... A Wild Thing.

Buy it: Where the Wild Things Are on Amazon

29. “Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better.” —Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better.

Buy it: Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse on Amazon

30. “Not trying is much worse than failing.” —A World Without Failures by Esther Pia Cordova

Not trying is much worse than failing.

Buy it: A World Without Failures on Amazon

31. “You never really know how far a smile can go. When one comes your way, it may have traveled thousands of miles and cheered millions of people before it reached you.” —The Smile That Went Around the World by Patrice Karst

You never really know how far a smile can go. When one comes your way, it may have traveled thousands of miles and cheered millions of people before it reached you.

Buy it: The Smile That Went Around the World on Amazon

32. “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 by Madeleine L’Engle

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.

Buy it: A Wrinkle in Time on Amazon

33. “Normal is whatever you are.” —Leo the Lop by Stephen Cosgrove

Normal is whatever you are.

Buy it: Leo the Lop on Amazon

34. “Be who you are and say how you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” —The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Be who you are and say how you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind

Buy it: The Cat in the Hat on Amazon

35. “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times when one only remembers to turn on the light.” —Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times when one only remembers to turn on the light.

Buy it: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on Amazon

36. “Never hurry and never worry!” —Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Never hurry and never worry!

Buy it: Charlotte’s Web on Amazon

37. “You’re great no matter what! You are worthwhile simply because you’re alive. Never forget this, and you’re sure to thrive.” —Unstoppable Me! by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

You’re great no matter what! You are worthwhile simply because you’re alive. Never forget this, and you’re sure to thrive.

Buy it: Unstoppable Me! on Amazon

38. “Who knows, my friend? Maybe the sword does have some magic. Personally, I think it’s the warrior who wields it.” —Redwall by Brian Jacques

Who knows, my friend? Maybe the sword does have some magic. Personally, I think it’s the warrior who wields it.- Quotes from books

Buy it: Redwall on Amazon

39. “The teacher taught me the word in school. I wrote it in my book. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. Beautiful! I think it means something that when you have it, your heart is happy.” —Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth

The teacher taught me the word in school. I wrote it in my book. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. Beautiful! I think it means something that when you have it, your heart is happy.

Buy it: Something Beautiful on Amazon

40. “Daddy tells me it is beautiful. That makes me proud. I love that my hair lets me be me!” —Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry

Daddy tells me it is beautiful. That makes me proud. I love that my hair lets me be me!- Quotes from books

Buy it: Hair Love on Amazon

41. “People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them, haven’t you?” —Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them, haven’t you?

Buy it: Anne of Green Gables on Amazon

42. “Well, maybe it started that way. As a dream, but doesn’t everything? Those buildings. These lights. This whole city. Somebody had to dream about it first. And maybe that is what I did. I dreamed about coming here, but then I did it.” —James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Well, maybe it started that way. As a dream, but doesn’t everything? Those buildings. These lights. This whole city. Somebody had to dream about it first. And maybe that is what I did. I dreamed about coming here, but then I did it.

Buy it: James and the Giant Peach on Amazon

43. “Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always try to be a little kinder than is necessary?” —The Little White Bird by J.M. Barrie

Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always try to be a little kinder than is necessary?- Quotes from books

Buy it: The Little White Bird on Amazon

44. “Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle.”—Alice’s Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle.

Buy it: Alice’s Wonderland on Amazon

45. “‘You have plenty of courage, I am sure,’ answered Oz. ‘All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.’” —The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

‘You have plenty of courage, I am sure,’ answered Oz. ‘All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.’- Quotes from books

Buy it: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on Amazon

46. “Thank you for the sun above, thank you for my friends I love, thank you for the earth and air, thank you for the food to share.” —An Awesome Book of Thanks by Dallas Clayton

Thank you for the sun above, thank you for my friends I love, thank you for the earth and air, thank you for the food to share.

Buy it: An Awesome Book of Thanks on Amazon

47. “Books have to be heavy because the whole world’s inside them.” —Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Books have to be heavy because the whole world’s inside them.

Buy it: Inkheart on Amazon

48. “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 by Marcus Pfister

Finally the Rainbow Fish has only one shining scale left. His most prized possessions had been given away, yet he was very happy.

Buy it: The Rainbow Fish on Amazon

49. “On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, ‘Life will never be the same.’” —On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, ‘Life will never be the same.’

Buy it: On the Night You Were Born on Amazon

50. “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” —Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.- Quotes from books

Buy it: Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There on Amazon

51. “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 by Arnold Lobel

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.

Buy it: Frog and Toad Are Friends on Amazon

52. “It’s a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.” —Matilda by Roald Dahl

It’s a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.

Buy it: Matilda on Amazon

53. “When Harry thought about Winnie and the voyage across the ocean, his head said, ‘I shouldn’t.’ His head said, ‘I can’t.’ But his heart made up his mind.” —Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

When Harry thought about Winnie and the voyage across the ocean, his head said, ‘I shouldn’t.’ His head said, ‘I can’t.’ But his heart made up his mind.

Buy it: Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear on Amazon

54. “Out there, under the stars, I really tried to focus on myself and what I needed. I took walks, I read books, I floated in the river, I wrote in my journal and found simple moments to be quiet.” —The Good Egg by Jory John

Out there, under the stars, I really tried to focus on myself and what I needed. I took walks, I read books, I floated in the river, I wrote in my journal and found simple moments to be quiet.- Quotes from books

Buy it: The Good Egg on Amazon

55. “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 by Shel Silverstein

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.

Buy it: Where the Sidewalk Ends on Amazon

Quotes From Books for Young Adults

56. “Becoming fearless isn’t the point. That’s impossible. It’s learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.” —Divergent by Veronica Roth

Quotes from Books: "Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it." —Divergent by Veronica Roth

Buy it: Divergent on Amazon

57. “That’s the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.” —The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt." —The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- Quotes from books

Buy it: The Fault in Our Stars on Amazon

58. “I try to think about how it all works. At school dances, I sit in the background, and I tap my toe, and I wonder how many couples will dance to ‘their song.’ In the hallways, I see the girls wearing the guys’ jackets, and I think about the idea of property. And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are.” —The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"I try to think about how it all works. At school dances, I sit in the background, and I tap my toe, and I wonder how many couples will dance to 'their song.' In the hallways, I see the girls wearing the guys' jackets, and I think about the idea of property. And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are." —The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Buy it: The Perks of Being a Wallflower on Amazon

59. “Things were rough all over but it was better that way. That way, you could tell the other guy was human too.” —The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

"Things were rough all over but it was better that way. That way, you could tell the other guy was human too." —The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Buy it: The Outsiders on Amazon

60. “You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you’ll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present.” —Looking for Alaska by John Green

"You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present." —Looking for Alaska by John Green- Quotes from books

Buy it: Looking for Alaska on Amazon

61. “Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere.” —Night by Elie Wiesel

“Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere.” —Night by Elie Wiesel

Buy it: Night on Amazon

62. “I like it when somebody gets excited about something. It’s nice.” —The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

- Quotes from books

Buy it: The Catcher in the Rye on Amazon

63. “I was half in love with her by the time we sat down.” —The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

“I was half in love with her by the time we sat down.”

Buy it: Catcher in the Rye on Amazon

64. “I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different.” —Divergent by Veronica Roth

"I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different." —Divergent by Veronica Roth- Quotes from books

Buy it: Divergent on Amazon

65. “I think you can sort of slip out of your life and it can be hard to find a way back in.” —I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

“I think you can sort of slip out of your life and it can be hard to find a way back in.” —I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Buy it: I’ll Give You the Sun on Amazon

66. “THE BEST word shakers were the ones who understood the true power of words.” —The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

“THE BEST word shakers were the ones who understood the true power of words." —The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Buy it: The Book Thief on Amazon

67. “Dreams are hopeful because they exist as pure possibility. Unlike memories, which are fossils, long dead and buried deep.” —We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

“Dreams are hopeful because they exist as pure possibility. Unlike memories, which are fossils, long dead and buried deep.” —We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson- Quotes from books

Buy it: We Are the Ants on Amazon

68. “I wonder what it’s like to have that much power over a boy. I don’t think I’d want it; it’s a lot of responsibility to hold a person’s heart in your hands.” —To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

“I wonder what it’s like to have that much power over a boy. I don’t think I’d want it; it’s a lot of responsibility to hold a person’s heart in your hands.” —To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Buy it: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Amazon

69. “People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.” —To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.” —To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- Quotes from books

Buy it: To Kill a Mockingbird on Amazon

70. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” —To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

- Quotes from books

Buy it: To Kill a Mockingbird on Amazon

71. “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” —The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

Buy it: The Alchemist on Amazon

72. “Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.” —The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.

Buy it: The Year of Magical Thinking on Amazon

73. “The world may be mean, but people don’t have to be, not if they refuse.” —The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

The world may be mean, but people don’t have to be, not if they refuse.- Quotes from books

Buy it: The Underground Railroad on Amazon

74. “You may be born into a family, but you walk into friendships. Some you’ll discover you should put behind you. Others are worth every risk.” —They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

You may be born into a family, but you walk into friendships. Some you’ll discover you should put behind you. Others are worth every risk.

Buy it: They Both Die at the End on Amazon

75. “I think that maybe forgiveness is like change—it comes in small steps.” —The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

I think that maybe forgiveness is like change—it comes in small steps.

Buy it: The Adoration of Jenna Fox on Amazon

76. “I shiver, thinking how easy it is to be totally wrong about people—to see one tiny part of them and confuse it for the whole, to see the cause and think it’s the effect or vice versa.” —Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I shiver, thinking how easy it is to be totally wrong about people—to see one tiny part of them and confuse it for the whole, to see the cause and think it’s the effect or vice versa.

Buy it: Before I Fall on Amazon

77. “Books are easily destroyed. But words will live as long as people can remember them.” —Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Books are easily destroyed. But words will live as long as people can remember them.- Quotes from books

Buy it: Ignite Me on Amazon

78. “I am coming to terms with the fact that loving someone requires a leap of faith, and that a soft landing is never guaranteed.” —This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

I am coming to terms with the fact that loving someone requires a leap of faith, and that a soft landing is never guaranteed.

Buy it: This Lullaby on Amazon

79. “We who have means and a voice must use them to help those who have neither.” —These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

We who have means and a voice must use them to help those who have neither.

Buy it: These Shallow Graves on Amazon

80. “The real courage is in living and suffering for what you believe.” —Eragon by Christopher Paolini

The real courage is in living and suffering for what you believe.- Quotes from books

Buy it: Eragon on Amazon

Classic Literature Quotes

81. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” —As You Like It by William Shakespeare

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.

Buy it: As You Like It on Amazon

82. “I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything.” —The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything.” —The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Buy it: The Great Gatsby on Amazon

83. “If he loved with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn’t love as much in eighty years as I could in a day.” —Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

“If he loved with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn't love as much in eighty years as I could in a day.” —Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë,- Quotes from books 

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84. “Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.” —Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

"Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for." —Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Buy it: Little Women on Amazon

85. “It is dreadful that one cannot tear out the past by the roots. We cannot tear it out but we can hide the memory of it.” —Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

“It is dreadful that one cannot tear out the past by the roots. We cannot tear it out but we can hide the memory of it.” —Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy- Quotes from books

Buy it: Anna Karenina on Amazon

86. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places.” —A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places.” —A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Buy it: A Farewell to Arms on Amazon

87. “One day I will find the right words, and they all will be simple.” —The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

"One day I will find the right words, and they all will be simple." —The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

Buy it: The Dharma Bums on Amazon

88. “All we can know is that we know nothing. And that’s the height of human wisdom.” —War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

All we can know is that we know nothing. And that’s the height of human wisdom.- Quotes from books

Buy it: War and Peace on Amazon

89. “Anything worth dying for is certainly worth living for.” —Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Anything worth dying for is certainly worth living for.

Buy it: Catch-22 on Amazon

90. “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” —Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer."—Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Buy it: Their Eyes Were Watching God on Amazon

91. “It’s funny. All one has to do is say something nobody understands and they’ll do practically anything you want them to.” —The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"It’s funny. All one has to do is say something nobody understands and they’ll do practically anything you want them to." —The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger- Quotes from books

Buy it: The Catcher in the Rye on Amazon

92. “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” —A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

"There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” —A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Buy it: A Christmas Carol on Amazon

93. “You can’t pick out the pieces and leave the rest. Being part of the whole thing, that’s the blessing.” —Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

You can’t pick out the pieces and leave the rest. Being part of the whole thing, that’s the blessing- Quotes from books

Buy it: Tuck Everlasting on Amazon

94. “All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.” —The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

Buy it: The Fellowship of the Ring on Amazon

95. “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” —The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.

Buy it: The Hobbit on Amazon

96. “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.” —Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.- Quotes from books

Buy it: Lord of the Flies on Amazon

97. “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” —1984 by George Orwell

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

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98. “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” —Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.- Quotes from books

Buy it: Jane Eyre on Amazon

Literary Quotes From Memoirs

99. “The only way we will survive is by being kind. The only way we can get by in this world is through the help we receive from others. No one can do it alone, no matter how great the machines are.” —Yes Please by Amy Poehler

“The only way we will survive is by being kind. The only way we can get by in this world is through the help we receive from others. No one can do it alone, no matter how great the machines are.” —Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Buy it: Yes Please on Amazon

100. “Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions. … Do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.” —Bossypants by Tina Fey

“Don't waste your energy trying to change opinions. ... Do your thing, and don't care if they like it.” —Bossypants by Tina Fey

Buy it: Bossypants on Amazon

101. “What’s so wrong with effort, anyway? It means you care.” —Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

“What’s so wrong with effort, anyway? It means you care.” —Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling- Quotes from books

Buy it: Why Not Me? on Amazon

102. “People are their most beautiful when they are laughing, crying, dancing, playing, telling the truth, and being chased in a fun way.” —Yes Please by Amy Poehler

“People are their most beautiful when they are laughing, crying, dancing, playing, telling the truth, and being chased in a fun way.”—Yes Please by Amy Poehler- Quotes from books

Buy it: Yes Please on Amazon

103. “It’s very hard to have ideas. It’s very hard to put yourself out there, it’s very hard to be vulnerable, but those people who do that are the dreamers, the thinkers and the creators. They are the magic people of the world.” —Yes Please by Amy Poehler

“It’s very hard to have ideas. It’s very hard to put yourself out there, it’s very hard to be vulnerable, but those people who do that are the dreamers, the thinkers and the creators. They are the magic people of the world.” —Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Buy it: Yes Please on Amazon

104. “My life is my message.”—The Story of My Experiments With Truth by Mahatma Gandhi

My life is my message.- Quotes from books

Buy it: The Story of My Experiments With Truth on Amazon

105. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” —I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.

Buy it: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings on Amazon

Like these quotes from books for students? Check out these poetry quotes to share with students too!

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No need to pick through dozens of books for literary quotes on your own! Check out our list of the best quotes from books for all ages.