Think back to the books you read as a kid—chances are there was that one line from that one book that completely changed the way you thought about life, whether it was the poignant last phrase of The Polar Express or a quietly wise revelation from Winnie the Pooh.
1. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
“‘I wish that I could give you something… but I have nothing left. I am an old stump. I am sorry…’
‘I don’t need very much now,’ said the boy, ‘just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired.’
‘Well,” said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could. ‘Well, an old stump is a good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest.’
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
3. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
4. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
“Oh, it’s delightful to have ambitions. I’m so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them–that’s the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.”
5. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
“Sometimes it seemed to him that his life was delicate as a dandelion. One little puff from any direction, and it was blown to bits.”
6. The Giver by Lois Lowry
“For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing. Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo.”
7. 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…”
8. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
“Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”
9. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
“At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.”
10. A Light In the Attic by Shel Silverstein
“When the light turns green, you go. When the light turns red, you stop. But what do you do when the light turns blue with orange and lavender spots?”
