Books Quote by Jacqueline Woodson
“In young adult novels and children's books, you stay in moment. The story goes through a school year or a weekend. You never get a sense of a future self because the young person has not lived that yet.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Young Adult Fiction, various titles, 2000s
Stories often focus on present moments, limiting imagination of future identity for young readers.
In simple terms: Kids see only now, not later.
Key Takeaway
Encourage thinking about future possibilities.
Themes
growth
identity
time
perspective
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
educational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- school projects
- career planning
- long‑term goal setting
- creative writing exercises
Key Concepts
developmental psychology
narrative structure
Questions to Reflect On
- How can stories inspire long‑term thinking?
- What future self do you imagine?
A Different Perspective
Young readers may lack life experience to envision future selves.
![“My movies more often are told through pictures, not words. But in this case, the pictures took second position to the incredible words of Abraham Lincoln and his presence [...] I was less interested in an outpouring of imagery than in letting the most human moment of this story evolve before us.” quote by Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be7/steven-spielberg-963_abraham_my-movies-more-often-are-told-through-pi_136993.jpg)
