a photo of a wall with a poster that says, "A book is a dream that you hold in your hands" by Neil Gaiman
Book Fetish

15 Short and Inspiring Reading Quotes for Kids

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Alison Doherty

Senior Contributor

Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.

View All posts by Alison Doherty

Reading quotes for kids can inspire a love of literature and motivate a child to pick up a book. After years of struggling to learn to read, one of my favorite things about finally becoming a book lover was the sense of community: the fact that I had something in common with some of the most impressive people through history, from Virginia Woolf to Jane Austen to Toni Morrison. And as books became my biggest passion and favorite way to spend time, there was something special about knowing I had the same hobby as people like Madeleine L’Engle and Charles Dickens. These reading quotes for kids only emphasize this special fellowship for readers that’s existed since people started writing stories down.

Whether you are trying to inspire a reluctant reader or make a young bookworm in your life feel less alone, you will find an amazing reading quote here for the kids in your life. These are quotes that can be scribbled into a card or hung on the wall. They can be collected in a book of quotations or read out loud. Here are 15 inspiring reading quotes for kids! I hope they help ignite a lifelong love of reading in the young people around you, because there really is no better gift, in my humble opinion.

1. “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” —Walt Disney

2. “A book is a dream that you hold in your hands.” —Neil Gaiman

a photo of a poster with the text "A book is a dream that you hold in your hands." - Neil Gaiman

3. “So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall.” —Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

4. “That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” —Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake

5. “A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.” —Carl Sagan

a photo of someone holding up a poster with the text "A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic." Carl Sagan

6. “I have always imagined paradise will be a kind of library.” —Jorge Luis Borges

7. “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” —Toni Morrison

8. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” —Dr. Seuss

a wall decal that says "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." – Dr. Seuss

9. “Books may well be the only true magic.” —Alice Hoffman

10. “Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.” —George R.R. Martin

11. “The world belongs to those who read.” —Rick Holland

a framed graphic with the text "The world belongs to those who read." – Rick Holland

12. “With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?” —Oscar Wilde

a photo of a framed poster with the text "With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?" - Oscar Wilde

13. “A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.” —Madeleine L’Engle

14. “Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood.” —John Green

15. “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” —Margaret Fuller

a graphic with the text "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." - Margaret Fuller