--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Early on I came to realize something, and…" description: "\"Early on I came to realize something, and it came from the mail I received from kids. That is, kids at that pivotal age, 12, 13 or 14, they're still de..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b1/lois-lowry-978_adults_early-on-i-came-to-realize-something-and_966411.png" --- # Early on I came to realize something, and it came from the… ![“Early on I came to realize something, and it came from the mail I received from kids. That is, kids at that pivotal age, 12, 13 or 14, they're still deeply affected by what they read, some are changed by what they read, books can change the way they feel about the world in general. I don't think…” quote by Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b1/lois-lowry-978_adults_early-on-i-came-to-realize-something-and_966411.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b1/lois-lowry-978_adults_early-on-i-came-to-realize-something-and_966411.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b1/lois-lowry-978_adults_early-on-i-came-to-realize-something-and_966411.png) > “Early on I came to realize something, and it came from the mail I received from kids. That is, kids at that pivotal age, 12, 13 or 14, they're still deeply affected by what they read, some are changed by what they read, books can change the way they feel about the world in general. I don't think that's true of adults as much.” [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children at early adolescence are highly impressionable; reading can profoundly shape their worldview, more so than in adults. **In simple terms:** Kids are strongly influenced by what they read. Key Takeaway Encourage young readers to explore diverse books. Themes education development influence reading Mood hopeful inspirational Type advice motivational When to use this quote - school curricula - parental guidance - library programs - book clubs Key Concepts cognitive development emotional growth literacy Questions to Reflect On - How can we harness this influence for positive change? - What books best foster empathy in teens? A Different Perspective Adults also change, but impact is less immediate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to be a visual artist, but I realized I was more affected by what I read than by what I saw. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-wanted-to-be-a-visual-artist-but-i-realized-i-was-more-affected-by/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [In reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/in-reading-a-novel-any-novel-we-have-to-know-perfectly-well-that-the/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [You never know when it is going to happen, when you will experience a moment that dramatically transforms your life. When you look back,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gay-hendricks/you-never-know-when-it-is-going-to-happen-when-you-will-experience-a/) [Gay Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gay-hendricks/) > [When we're done with it, we may find—if it's a good novel—that we're a bit different from what we were before we read it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/when-we-re-done-with-it-we-may-find-if-it-s-a-good-novel-that-we-re-a/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [If you want to be changed, read a good book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/if-you-want-to-be-changed-read-a-good-book/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“In Dostoevsky there were things unbelievable and not to be believed, but some so true they changed you as you read them; frailty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/in-dostoevsky-there-were-things-unbelievable-and-not-to-be-believed/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“From "The Book That Changed My Life": -"But your journey is never over until you return from it to share with society what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ballard/from-the-book-that-changed-my-life-but-your-journey-is-never-over/) [Robert Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ballard/) > [ “\[W\]e are changed by what we read. Close that book, and you are not the same person anymore. Because of what you just read,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/w-e-are-changed-by-what-we-read-close-that-book-and-you-are-not-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Bulahdeen ignored her. "I taught literature for nearly forty years. The books I read when I was twenty completely changed when I read them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/bulahdeen-ignored-her-i-taught-literature-for-nearly-forty-years-the/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [I don't read young adult or children's books, now that my grandchildren are beyond the age of my reading to them. I read reviews,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-don-t-read-young-adult-or-children-s-books-now-that-my/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“Books can change minds and change worlds, open doors and open minds, plant seeds that can grow into magical or even terrifying things. Stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-james/books-can-change-minds-and-change-worlds-open-doors-and-open-minds/) Anna James > [I've seen firsthand how books can change people's lives. It happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pelecanos/i-ve-seen-firsthand-how-books-can-change-people-s-lives-it-happened/) [George Pelecanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pelecanos/) > [Books can change your life. Some of the most influential people in our lives are characters we meet in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/books-can-change-your-life-some-of-the-most-influential-people-in-our/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [There are books that change the way you feel and see; this is one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-nicole-leblanc/there-are-books-that-change-the-way-you-feel-and-see-this-is-one-of/) Adrian Nicole LeBlanc > [Books ARE a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/books-are-a-form-of-political-action-books-are-knowledge-books-are/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More by Lois Lowry > [“She's sure, absolutely sure, that what she's waiting for will happen, just the way she wants it to; and I'm so uncertain, so fearful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/she-s-sure-absolutely-sure-that-what-she-s-waiting-for-will-happen/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. But after thinking seriously about that field, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-medicine-and-was-pleased-when-my/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“The important thing is that another medium—stage, film, music—doesn’t obliterate a book. The movie is here now, on a big screen, with stars and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/the-important-thing-is-that-another-medium-stage-film-music-doesn-t/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [Pretending that there are no choices to be made - reading only books, for example, which are cheery and safe and nice - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/pretending-that-there-are-no-choices-to-be-made-reading-only-books/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [They were satisfied with their lives which had none of the vibrance his own was taking on. 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We must just do it with love, that's all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/sometimes-we-have-to-hurt-people-in-order-to-keep-ourselves-whole-we/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“Once, back in the time of the memories, everything had a shape and size, the way things still do, but they also had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/once-back-in-the-time-of-the-memories-everything-had-a-shape-and-size/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule, but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/no-one-mentioned-such-things-it-was-not-a-rule-but-was-considered/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [When you lose a child in an accident as I did, it's final - you're not caught in this longing for him, to search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/when-you-lose-a-child-in-an-accident-as-i-did-it-s-final-you-re-not/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“...and I want you all to remember- that you must not dream yourselves back to the times before the war, but the dream for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/and-i-want-you-all-to-remember-that-you-must-not-dream-yourselves/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“He saw Forest and understood what Seer had meant. 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Annemarie smiled, but Peter's comment was no longer the lighthearted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/don-t-grow-much-more-or-you-will-be-taller-than-i-am-little-longlegs/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“Matty had felt this sensation—the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/matty-had-felt-this-sensation-the/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) [Explore all 311 Lois Lowry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) ## More Adults quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. 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