--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need our children to get onto the…" description: "\"“We need our children to get onto the reading ladder: anything that they enjoy reading will move them up, rung by rung, into literacy. (Also, do not do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/neil-gaiman-29_books_we-need-our-children-to-get-onto-the-rea_2479180.jpg" --- # We need our children to get onto the reading ladder… ![“We need our children to get onto the reading ladder: anything that they enjoy reading will move them up, rung by rung, into literacy. (Also, do not do what this author did when his 11-year-old daughter was into RL Stine, which is to go and get a copy of Stephen King's Carrie, saying if you liked…” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/neil-gaiman-29_books_we-need-our-children-to-get-onto-the-rea_2479180.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/neil-gaiman-29_books_we-need-our-children-to-get-onto-the-rea_2479180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/neil-gaiman-29_books_we-need-our-children-to-get-onto-the-rea_2479180.jpg) > ““We need our children to get onto the reading ladder: anything that they enjoy reading will move them up, rung by rung, into literacy. (Also, do not do what this author did when his 11-year-old daughter was into RL Stine, which is to go and get a copy of Stephen King's Carrie, saying if you liked those you'll love this! Holly read nothing but safe stories of settlers on prairies for the rest of her teenage years, and still glares at me when Stephen King's name is mentioned.)”” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading enjoyment builds literacy step by step, encouraging lifelong learning and critical thinking. **In simple terms:** Enjoyable reading improves literacy gradually. Key Takeaway Provide engaging books to spark interest. Themes literacy education reading development Mood encouraging reflective Type advice parental guidance When to use this quote - school curriculum - parental guidance - library programs - book clubs - reading challenges Key Concepts cognitive growth motivation habit formation Questions to Reflect On - What books have most increased your child's love of reading? - How can we balance safe content with challenging material? A Different Perspective If reading material is too safe, it may limit exposure to diverse ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Teenage years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenage-years/) ## Related quotes > [“Fiction has two uses. Firstly, it’s a gateway drug to reading. The drive to know what happens next, to want to turn the page,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/fiction-has-two-uses-firstly-it-s-a-gateway-drug-to-reading-the-drive/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/where-the-press-is-free-and-every-man-able-to-read-all-is-safe/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“In Sarasota, Florida, Stephen King reminded me of the joy of just writing every day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/in-sarasota-florida-stephen-king-reminded-me-of-the-joy-of-just/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“When I agreed to give this address, I started trying to think what the best advice I'd been given over the years was. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/when-i-agreed-to-give-this-address-i-started-trying-to-think-what-the/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“But irony deepens a person, helps them mature. It's the entrance to salvation on a higher plane, to a place where you can find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/but-irony-deepens-a-person-helps-them-mature-it-s-the-entrance-to/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I was never a comic-book fan, but I loved cartoons. I don't enjoy reading: for me, it's hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gilgun/i-was-never-a-comic-book-fan-but-i-loved-cartoons-i-don-t-enjoy/) [Joe Gilgun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gilgun/) > [I haven't read enough books to consider myself a bookworm, but I enjoy reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-rowsell/i-haven-t-read-enough-books-to-consider-myself-a-bookworm-but-i-enjoy/) [Ellie Rowsell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-rowsell/) > [I like to read first thing in the morning. I'm addicted to the Kindle. I read a lot of business books, because I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/i-like-to-read-first-thing-in-the-morning-i-m-addicted-to-the-kindle/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) > [Some difficulty is warranted and other difficulty I think is gratuitous. And I think I can tell the difference. There are certainly very difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/some-difficulty-is-warranted-and-other-difficulty-i-think-is/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [“Thanks for reading all the way through. I hope that you enjoyed this book. As a new writer, it is hard to get started;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-the-noob/thanks-for-reading-all-the-way-through-i-hope-that-you-enjoyed-this/) Steve the Noob > [Theres really not much that people can pick on me for my work, so obviously they find other reasons to write something bad about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/theres-really-not-much-that-people-can-pick-on-me-for-my-work-so/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I wasn't inspired so much by a person as by reading many good books. I loved to write and I wondered if I might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-kehret/i-wasn-t-inspired-so-much-by-a-person-as-by-reading-many-good-books-i/) [Peg Kehret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-kehret/) > [I enjoy reading tips about how to be more organized, and I rarely implement them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/i-enjoy-reading-tips-about-how-to-be-more-organized-and-i-rarely/) [Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/) > [“If you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them, then I am happy. Its got nothing to do with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-rimmer/if-you-enjoy-reading-my-books-as-much-as-i-enjoy-writing-them-then-i/) [Peter Rimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-rimmer/) > [I've always been drawn to dark stories. I enjoy reading Flannery O'Connor, Patricia Highsmith, and Margaret Mitchell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-dark-stories-i-enjoy-reading-flannery-o/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“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/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. For some days the needle had been over in the red, occasionally banging jerkily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/like-all-sentient-beings-fat-charlie-had-a-weirdness-quotient-for/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Shadow crawled across the floor to the yellow foam-rubber pad and climbed onto it, pulling the thin blanket over himself, and closed his eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/shadow-crawled-across-the-floor-to-the-yellow-foam-rubber-pad-and/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ “\[T\]hey could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/t-hey-could-not-help-being-amused-every-time-another-little-human/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [So many things to see, people to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/so-many-things-to-see-people-to-do/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/) [neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Explore all 2,526 Neil Gaiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [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/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We need our children to get onto the reading ladder: anything that they enjoy reading will move them up, rung by rung, into literacy. (Also, do not do what this author did when his 11-year-old daughter was into RL Stine, which is to go and get a copy of Stephen King's Carrie, saying if you liked those you'll love this! 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