--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is the myth that writing books for…" description: "\"There is the myth that writing books for children is easier than writing books for grownups, whereas we know that truly great books for children are wo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/michael-morpurgo-3162_book_there-is-the-myth-that-writing-books-for_659532.jpg" --- # There is the myth that writing books for children is… ![“There is the myth that writing books for children is easier than writing books for grownups, whereas we know that truly great books for children are works of genius, whether it's 'Alice in Wonderland' or the 'Gruffalo' or 'Northern Lights.' When it's a great book, it's a great book, whether it's…” quote by Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/michael-morpurgo-3162_book_there-is-the-myth-that-writing-books-for_659532.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/michael-morpurgo-3162_book_there-is-the-myth-that-writing-books-for_659532.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/michael-morpurgo-3162_book_there-is-the-myth-that-writing-books-for_659532.jpg) > “There is the myth that writing books for children is easier than writing books for grownups, whereas we know that truly great books for children are works of genius, whether it's 'Alice in Wonderland' or the 'Gruffalo' or 'Northern Lights.' When it's a great book, it's a great book, whether it's for children or not.” [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great children's literature demands the same artistic brilliance as adult works, regardless of age. **In simple terms:** Children's books can be as masterful as adult books. Key Takeaway Respect the craft, not the audience age. Themes literature creativity universality Mood thoughtful inspirational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing workshops - publishing - education Key Concepts artistic excellence genre transcendence Questions to Reflect On - How can we elevate children's books in critical circles? - What elements make a story timeless across ages? A Different Perspective Market pressures may undervalue children's literature. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-children-1374594/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-children-288809/) [Books Grownups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-grownups-5257674/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-book/) [Children Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-easier-406330/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-book/) [Grownups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grownups/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Northern lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/northern-lights/) [Wonderland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderland/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-book/) [Writing Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-books-366652/) ## Related quotes > [I wrote a children's book because children have the most open minds. They are the people who really want to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/i-wrote-a-children-s-book-because-children-have-the-most-open-minds/) [Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/) > [Every book is a children's book if the kid can read!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/every-book-is-a-children-s-book-if-the-kid-can-read/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I've always said that Watership Down is not a book for children. 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I don't have a feeling that I'm gonna save children or my life is devoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-never-set-out-to-write-books-for-children-i-don-t-have-a-feeling/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [ I love those adult writers with the pranking ethos, \[Don\] DeLillo and \[Donald\] Barthelme and David Foster Wallace. I don't see any reason not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-barnett/i-love-those-adult-writers-with-the-pranking-ethos-don-delillo-and/) [Mac Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-barnett/) > [I have so little patience with the whole Y.A. book thing. As far as I'm concerned, you either read books for children or you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-k-morgan/i-have-so-little-patience-with-the-whole-y-a-book-thing-as-far-as-i-m/) [Richard K. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-k-morgan/) > [In our time, when the literature for adults is deteriorating, good books for children are the only hope, the only refuge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/in-our-time-when-the-literature-for-adults-is-deteriorating-good/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [Why then, if these new books for children must be retained, as they will be, should not the Bible regain the place it once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fisher-ames/why-then-if-these-new-books-for-children-must-be-retained-as-they/) [Fisher Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fisher-ames/) > [Writing for children is bloody difficult; books for children are as complex as their adult counterparts, and they should therefore be accorded the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/writing-for-children-is-bloody-difficult-books-for-children-are-as/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [Children's reading and children's thinking are the rock-bottom base upon which this country will rise. Or not rise. In these days of tension and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/children-s-reading-and-children-s-thinking-are-the-rock-bottom-base-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Michael Morpurgo > [There's a mouse in here with me. He's sitting there in the light of the lamp, looking up at me. He seems as surprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/there-s-a-mouse-in-here-with-me-he-s-sitting-there-in-the-light-of/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [“It is so beautiful but home is home, and home is best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/it-is-so-beautiful-but-home-is-home-and-home-is-best/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [“Father was always getting into scrapes when he was a lad. But the worst scrape he ever hot hisself into was the war, First…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/father-was-always-getting-into-scrapes-when-he-was-a-lad-but-the/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [But I didn’t dare. That has always been my trouble. I’ve never dared enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/but-i-didn-t-dare-that-has-always-been-my-trouble-i-ve-never-dared/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [Wherever my story takes me, however dark and difficult the theme, there is always some hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/wherever-my-story-takes-me-however-dark-and-difficult-the-theme-there/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [It gives me confidence to know that what I'm writing has a veracity of its own without me having to invent it. When I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/it-gives-me-confidence-to-know-that-what-i-m-writing-has-a-veracity/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [Live an interesting life. Meet people. Read a lot and widely, learn from the great writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/live-an-interesting-life-meet-people-read-a-lot-and-widely-learn-from/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [I can hate you more, but I'll never love you less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/i-can-hate-you-more-but-i-ll-never-love-you-less/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [By the time I sit down and face the blank page I am raring to go. I tell it as if I'm talking to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/by-the-time-i-sit-down-and-face-the-blank-page-i-am-raring-to-go-i/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [Encouraging young people to believe in themselves and find their own voice whether it's through writing, drama or art is so important in giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/encouraging-young-people-to-believe-in-themselves-and-find-their-own/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [With all editing, no matter how sensitive - and I've been very lucky here - I react sulkily at first, but then I settle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/with-all-editing-no-matter-how-sensitive-and-i-ve-been-very-lucky/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [A lot of children, like I did, move away from words because of the fear - which is something you have to take out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/a-lot-of-children-like-i-did-move-away-from-words-because-of-the-fear/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them a duty of care as we do to children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/animals-are-sentient-intelligent-perceptive-funny-and-entertaining-we/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [Blind terror drove me on, with my flying stirrups whipping me into a frenzy. With no rider to carry I reached the kneeling riflemen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/blind-terror-drove-me-on-with-my-flying-stirrups-whipping-me-into-a/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [“After this night is over, then you can drift away, they you can sleep for ever, for nothing will ever matter again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/after-this-night-is-over-then-you-can-drift-away-they-you-can-sleep/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) [Explore all 138 Michael Morpurgo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) ## 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": "There is the myth that writing books for children is easier than writing books for grownups, whereas we know that truly great books for children are works of genius, whether it's 'Alice in Wonderland' or the 'Gruffalo' or 'Northern Lights.' 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