--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not terribly conversant with…" description: "\"I'm not terribly conversant with children's literature in general. I tend to read books for adults, being an adult.\" — Lois Lowry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/lois-lowry-978_adults_i-m-not-terribly-conversant-with-childre_2633464.png" --- # I'm not terribly conversant with children's literature in… ![“I'm not terribly conversant with children's literature in general. I tend to read books for adults, being an adult.” quote by Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/lois-lowry-978_adults_i-m-not-terribly-conversant-with-childre_2633464.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/lois-lowry-978_adults_i-m-not-terribly-conversant-with-childre_2633464.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/lois-lowry-978_adults_i-m-not-terribly-conversant-with-childre_2633464.png) > “I'm not terribly conversant with children's literature in general. I tend to read books for adults, being an adult.” [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. Adults often read adult literature, feeling disconnected from children's books. **In simple terms:** Adults prefer adult books over children's literature. Key Takeaway Explore diverse reading for broader perspective. Themes reading literature age preference growth Mood reflective educational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - book clubs - library programs - parenting - education - personal development Key Concepts cognitive development genre studies Questions to Reflect On - What can you learn from children's stories? - How does adult literature differ in impact? A Different Perspective Limiting reading to age‑specific books narrows empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-adults-276011/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children 's literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-s-literature/) [Children literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-literature/) [Children'S Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-s-literature-2/) [Conversant Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversant-children-2208530/) [General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Literature General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature-general-2208531/) ## Related quotes > [“On the level of high art, in their common efforts to express human truths, relationships, attitudes, and personal visions, children's literature and adult literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/on-the-level-of-high-art-in-their-common-efforts-to-express-human/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [Mr. McGregor's a nasty piece of work, isn't he? Quite the Darth Vader of children's literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/mr-mcgregor-s-a-nasty-piece-of-work-isn-t-he-quite-the-darth-vader-of/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [ They \[Narnia\] are, perhaps, the greatest classics of children’s literature of the twentieth century. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-gresham/they-narnia-are-perhaps-the-greatest-classics-of-children-s/) [Douglas Gresham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-gresham/) > [There are people whom even children's literature would corrupt. They read with particular enjoyment the piquant passages in the Psalter and in the Wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-people-whom-even-children-s-literature-would-corrupt-they/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [It is, of course, traditional in children's literature to get rid of the parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/it-is-of-course-traditional-in-children-s-literature-to-get-rid-of/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [I wish that the adults who are 'in power' cared more about what their children read. Books are incredibly powerful when we are young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/i-wish-that-the-adults-who-are-in-power-cared-more-about-what-their/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [ \[My mom\] had always wanted to write a children's book. She was a children's librarian and an elementary school teacher, so of course she… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-bush/my-mom-had-always-wanted-to-write-a-children-s-book-she-was-a/) [Jenna Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-bush/) > [“Children's literature as a literary aberration or at best a minor amusement is a notion held most strongly by people who read the fewest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/children-s-literature-as-a-literary-aberration-or-at-best-a-minor/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [I'm always loath to make generalizations about what is for children and what isn't. Certainly children's literature as a genre has some restrictions, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-m-always-loath-to-make-generalizations-about-what-is-for-children/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [The work of one author or artist may stimulate another author or artist to push the edge, to take the risk, to go where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hesse/the-work-of-one-author-or-artist-may-stimulate-another-author-or/) [Karen Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hesse/) > [I think any good literature, whether it's for children or for adults, will appeal to everybody. As far as children's literature goes, adults should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-benson/i-think-any-good-literature-whether-it-s-for-children-or-for-adults/) [Amber Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-benson/) > [There is no such thing as children’s literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-v-m-gonzalez/there-is-no-such-thing-as-children-s-literature/) [N. V. M. Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-v-m-gonzalez/) > [“There’s a different flavor to children’s literature you read after you grow up than there was reading it as a child. Things that were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mizuki-nomura/there-s-a-different-flavor-to-children-s-literature-you-read-after/) [Mizuki Nomura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mizuki-nomura/) > [Of course all children's literature is not fantastic, so all fantastic books need not be children's books. It is still possible, even in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/of-course-all-children-s-literature-is-not-fantastic-so-all-fantastic/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Good children's literature appeals not only to the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/good-children-s-literature-appeals-not-only-to-the-child-in-the-adult/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## 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. And he was angry at himself, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/they-were-satisfied-with-their-lives-which-had-none-of-the-vibrance/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [Nowadays it seems as though people sit down to write what they know is going to be a trilogy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/nowadays-it-seems-as-though-people-sit-down-to-write-what-they-know/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“Take your pride in your pain. You are stronger than those who have none.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/take-your-pride-in-your-pain-you-are-stronger-than-those-who-have-none/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“Sometimes we have to hurt people, in order to keep ourselves whole. 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. It was an illusion. It was a tangled knot of fears and deceits and dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/he-saw-forest-and-understood-what-seer-had-meant-it-was-an-illusion/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [“Don't grow much more, or you will be taller than I am, little Longlegs!" 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. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) [K. Anders Ericsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-anders-ericsson/) > [Part of life is doing stuff that you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/part-of-life-is-doing-stuff-that-you-don-t-want-to-do/) [One Who Does Not Wish To Be Named](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [Kids, if anything, are harder to write for because they are a more discerning audience. They will not stay with you if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-if-anything-are-harder-to-write-for-because-they-are-a-more/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [On the one hand, we had great filmic spectacles that brought in big audiences, adults as well as primary and secondary school students. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-wajda/on-the-one-hand-we-had-great-filmic-spectacles-that-brought-in-big/) [Andrzej Wajda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-wajda/) > [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [When I was a child at sixteen, I was just a child. All sixteen year-olds are just children. As much as we like them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-i-was-a-child-at-sixteen-i-was-just-a-child-all-sixteen-year/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) [Browse all 3,113 Adults quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not terribly conversant with children's literature in general. 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