--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had a very wise mother. She always kept…" description: "\"I had a very wise mother. She always kept books that were my grade level in our house.\" — Beverly Cleary" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/beverly-cleary-5332_books_i-had-a-very-wise-mother-she-always-kept_3110353.jpg" --- # I had a very wise mother. She always kept books that were… ![“I had a very wise mother. She always kept books that were my grade level in our house.” quote by Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/beverly-cleary-5332_books_i-had-a-very-wise-mother-she-always-kept_3110353.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/beverly-cleary-5332_books_i-had-a-very-wise-mother-she-always-kept_3110353.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/beverly-cleary-5332_books_i-had-a-very-wise-mother-she-always-kept_3110353.jpg) > “I had a very wise mother. She always kept books that were my grade level in our house.” [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mother supports her child's learning by providing appropriately challenging books at home. **In simple terms:** Mother gives right‑level books. Key Takeaway Provide age‑appropriate reading material. Themes parenting education literacy Mood nurturing supportive Type advice parental guidance When to use this quote - home library - school reading assignments - gifted child support Key Concepts developmental psychology scaffolding Questions to Reflect On - How can parents balance challenge and comfort in reading choices? - What other resources complement books for learning? A Different Perspective May limit exposure to broader topics beyond grade level. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Alone of human beings the good and wise mother stands on a plane of equal honor with the bravest soldier; for she has gladly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/alone-of-human-beings-the-good-and-wise-mother-stands-on-a-plane-of/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“A wise mother is the unifying force between father and children; her seed of love produces a harvest of trust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agu-jaachynma-n-e/a-wise-mother-is-the-unifying-force-between-father-and-children-her/) [Agu Jaachynma N.E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agu-jaachynma-n-e/) > [Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy: the mad daughter of a wise mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/superstition-is-to-religion-what-astrology-is-to-astronomy-the-mad/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy the mad daughter of a wise mother. These daughters have too long dominated the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/superstition-is-to-religion-what-astrology-is-to-astronomy-the-mad-2/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“A wise mother knows: It is her state of consciousness that matters. Her gentleness and clarity command respect. Her love creates security.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vimala-mcclure/a-wise-mother-knows-it-is-her-state-of-consciousness-that-matters-her/) Vimala McClure > [“The apartment was entirely, was only, for her; a wall of books, both read and unread, all of them dear to her not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-apartment-was-entirely-was-only-for-her-a-wall-of-books-both-read-2/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/i-kept-always-two-books-in-my-pocket-one-to-read-one-to-write-in/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [I didn't have much to say to anybody but kept to myself and my books. With my eyes closed, I would touch a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-didn-t-have-much-to-say-to-anybody-but-kept-to-myself-and-my-books/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in. As I walked, my mind was busy fitting what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/i-kept-always-two-books-in-my-pocket-one-to-read-one-to-write-in-as-i/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“People kept their books, she thought, not because they were likely to read them again but because these objects contained the past--the texture of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/people-kept-their-books-she-thought-not-because-they-were-likely-to/) [Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/) > [“The apartment was entirely, was only, for her: a wall of books, both read and unread, all of them dear to her not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-apartment-was-entirely-was-only-for-her-a-wall-of-books-both-read-3/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“On the bottom shelf M. kept the books from his childhood days: Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, the Iliad - they are described in The Noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadezhda-mandelstam/on-the-bottom-shelf-m-kept-the-books-from-his-childhood-days-pushkin/) [Nadezhda Mandelstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadezhda-mandelstam/) > [My sense of the family history is somewhat sketchy, because my mother kept a great deal to herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/my-sense-of-the-family-history-is-somewhat-sketchy-because-my-mother/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [My mother was kept very busy with her sewing; sometimes she would have another woman helping her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/my-mother-was-kept-very-busy-with-her-sewing-sometimes-she-would-have/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [From the time I can remember my mother kept me in church. I think my first recollection of any place, being anywhere was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-pendergrass/from-the-time-i-can-remember-my-mother-kept-me-in-church-i-think-my/) [Teddy Pendergrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-pendergrass/) ## More by Beverly Cleary > [I particularly enjoy cello music because our daughter plays the cello. I have listened to her practice for so many hours that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-particularly-enjoy-cello-music-because-our-daughter-plays-the-cello/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I don't necessarily start with the beginning of the book. I just start with the part of the story that's most vivid in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-don-t-necessarily-start-with-the-beginning-of-the-book-i-just-start/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I think adults sometimes don't think about how children are feeling about the adult problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-think-adults-sometimes-don-t-think-about-how-children-are-feeling/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [What interests me is what children go through while growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/what-interests-me-is-what-children-go-through-while-growing-up/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I know that when I was a children's librarian, that was about 1940, boys particularly asked where were the books about kids like us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-know-that-when-i-was-a-children-s-librarian-that-was-about-1940/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I haven't been very enthusiastic about the commercialization of children's literature. Kids should borrow books from the library and not necessarily be buying them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-haven-t-been-very-enthusiastic-about-the-commercialization-of/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“She was surprised to feel his hand on her arm and still more surprised-almost unbelieving-to see his fingers unclasp his identification bracelet and remove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/she-was-surprised-to-feel-his-hand-on-her-arm-and-still-more/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“He seemed grown-up, compared to the boys at school, and although he was not handsome, or even particularly good-looking—there were still some scars on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/he-seemed-grown-up-compared-to-the-boys-at-school-and-although-he-was/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [The key to writing successful YA is to keep the adults out of the story as much as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/the-key-to-writing-successful-ya-is-to-keep-the-adults-out-of-the/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [In my grammar school years back in the 1920s I used my ten-cents-a-week allowance for Saturday matinees of Douglas Fairbanks movies. All that swashbuckling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/in-my-grammar-school-years-back-in-the-1920s-i-used-my-ten-cents-a/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“Well, she thought, I'm certainly bright. She had wanted to meet a new boy and when she finally did meet one she didn't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/well-she-thought-i-m-certainly-bright-she-had-wanted-to-meet-a-new/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I wrote books to entertain. I'm not trying to teach anything! If I suspected the author was trying to show me how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-wrote-books-to-entertain-i-m-not-trying-to-teach-anything-if-i/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I had a bad time in school in the first grade. Because I had been a rather lonely child on a farm, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-had-a-bad-time-in-school-in-the-first-grade-because-i-had-been-a/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“If there's one thing I can't stand, its a cheeky mouse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/if-there-s-one-thing-i-can-t-stand-its-a-cheeky-mouse/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [I think the best teachers had a real interest in the subject they were teaching and a love for children. Some of the teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-think-the-best-teachers-had-a-real-interest-in-the-subject-they/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) [Explore all 94 Beverly Cleary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had a very wise mother. 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