--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back in middle school, Catherine and I…" description: "\"Back in middle school, Catherine and I had gone through this stage where all we would read were fantasy books. We'd consume them like M&M's, by the fis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/meg-cabot-460_book_back-in-middle-school-catherine-and-i-ha_1711047.png" --- # Back in middle school, Catherine and I had gone through… ![“Back in middle school, Catherine and I had gone through this stage where all we would read were fantasy books. We'd consume them like M&M's, by the fistful, J.R.R. Tolkien and Terry Brooks and Susan Cooper and Lloyd Alexander. Susan Boone looked, to me, like the queen of the elves (there's almost…” quote by Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/meg-cabot-460_book_back-in-middle-school-catherine-and-i-ha_1711047.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/meg-cabot-460_book_back-in-middle-school-catherine-and-i-ha_1711047.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/meg-cabot-460_book_back-in-middle-school-catherine-and-i-ha_1711047.png) > “Back in middle school, Catherine and I had gone through this stage where all we would read were fantasy books. We'd consume them like M&M's, by the fistful, J.R.R. Tolkien and Terry Brooks and Susan Cooper and Lloyd Alexander. Susan Boone looked, to me, like the queen of the elves (there's almost always an elf queen in fantasy books). I mean, she was shorter than me and had on a strange lineny outfit in pale blues and greens…” [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recalling youthful immersion in fantasy, equating books to sweet treats and vivid characters. **In simple terms:** Kids devouring fantasy like candy. Key Takeaway Embrace imagination in learning. Themes nostalgia fantasy reading identity Mood nostalgic playful Type literary reminiscent When to use this quote - school reading - book clubs - creative writing - character analysis Key Concepts literature coming of age Questions to Reflect On - How did those stories shape your worldview? - What lessons can fantasy teach real life? A Different Perspective May idealize fantasy over reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Elves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elves/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fantasy books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy-books/) [Middle school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) ## Related quotes > [“The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real ... for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-best-fantasy-is-written-in-the-language-of-dreams-it-is-alive-as-2/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“These folk are hewers of trees and hunters of beasts; therefore we are their unfriends, and if they will not depart we shall afflict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/these-folk-are-hewers-of-trees-and-hunters-of-beasts-therefore-we-are/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“But of Olórin that tale does not speak; for though he loved the Elves, he walked among them unseen, or in form as one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/but-of-ol-rin-that-tale-does-not-speak-for-though-he-loved-the-elves/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [I was a massive Tolkien fan. 'The Hobbit' was... my favorite book as a little girl, and the Silvan Elves were my favorite characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/i-was-a-massive-tolkien-fan-the-hobbit-was-my-favorite-book-as-a/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [For a variety of reasons, my books struck the marketplace like a thunderclap; and one of those reasons was that there were so few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/for-a-variety-of-reasons-my-books-struck-the-marketplace-like-a/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [“Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves, And ye that on the sands with printless foot Do chase the ebbing Neptune and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ye-elves-of-hills-brooks-standing-lakes-and-groves-and-ye-that-on-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Your letters became harder to read and you became a fantasy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randolph-randy-camp/your-letters-became-harder-to-read-and-you-became-a-fantasy/) [Randolph Randy Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randolph-randy-camp/) > [People read vampire novels and say, 'Oh I want to read another vampire novel.' People read fantasy, and they're like, 'Oh I love fantasy.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/people-read-vampire-novels-and-say-oh-i-want-to-read-another-vampire/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Webb read fantasy; Jude read realism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/webb-read-fantasy-jude-read-realism/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I've read fantasy my whole life. Quite literally; my mom read me The Hobbit before I could read stuff to myself. So I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-ve-read-fantasy-my-whole-life-quite-literally-my-mom-read-me-the/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [So let's not get frightened when the children read fantasy. It's the compost for a healthy mind. It stimulate s the inquisitive nodes, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/so-let-s-not-get-frightened-when-the-children-read-fantasy-it-s-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I really can't write fantasy. I cannot invent a world which does not exist. And I can't read fantasy either. As soon as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/i-really-can-t-write-fantasy-i-cannot-invent-a-world-which-does-not/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the songs the sirens sang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/we-read-fantasy-to-find-the-colors-again-i-think-to-taste-strong/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [If you are going to write, say, fantasy - stop reading fantasy. You've already read too much. Read other things; read westerns, read history,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/if-you-are-going-to-write-say-fantasy-stop-reading-fantasy-you-ve/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Meg Cabot > [And I like a good horror story as much as the next person so long as they kill off some men too and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/and-i-like-a-good-horror-story-as-much-as-the-next-person-so-long-as/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [My family, they're story tellers. My mom is Irish, and my dad is Italian. In my family, we weren't allowed to watch TV while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/my-family-they-re-story-tellers-my-mom-is-irish-and-my-dad-is-italian/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear; The brave may not live forever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-rather-the-judgement-that/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [“No one has ever died of embarrassment-never, not once in the whole history of time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/no-one-has-ever-died-of-embarrassment-never-not-once-in-the-whole/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [What's the point? was my attitude. We're all just going to die and then NOT be let on the boat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/what-s-the-point-was-my-attitude-we-re-all-just-going-to-die-and-then/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [Meg Cabot is the best author ever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/meg-cabot-is-the-best-author-ever/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [oh my god, she said are you going to be reasonable about this?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/oh-my-god-she-said-are-you-going-to-be-reasonable-about-this/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [Nikki "Brandon's never hurt anyone. He's competely sweet and adorable." I choked a little on the sip of sparkling water I'k just swallowed. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/nikki-brandon-s-never-hurt-anyone-he-s-competely-sweet-and-adorable-i/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [“Very little in life if fair, Susannah”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/very-little-in-life-if-fair-susannah/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [“Of course it’s real, you bloody git,” Frank said to the young man behind the fruit cart, who had apparently questioned the legitimacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/of-course-it-s-real-you-bloody-git-frank-said-to-the-young-man-behind/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [Strong female characters - even if they don't necessarily make the same decisions that we might - make such great narrative material, especially when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/strong-female-characters-even-if-they-don-t-necessarily-make-the-same/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [“Communication goes two ways. Somebody has to talk. And somebody has to listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/communication-goes-two-ways-somebody-has-to-talk-and-somebody-has-to/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [“Cal: “I’m not presuming. I know exactly what you think about me. You think I’m an anal-retentive Armrest Nazi . . . an arrogant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/cal-i-m-not-presuming-i-know-exactly-what-you-think-about-me-you/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [High school sucks. People who say those were the best years of your life - those people are liars... Who wants the best years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/high-school-sucks-people-who-say-those-were-the-best-years-of-your/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [And try to remember what we discussed, Susannah. A mediator is someone who helps others resolve conflicts. Not someone who, er, kicks them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/and-try-to-remember-what-we-discussed-susannah-a-mediator-is-someone/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) [Explore all 532 Meg Cabot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) ## More Book 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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Back in middle school, Catherine and I had gone through this stage where all we would read were fantasy books. 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