--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People write books for children and other…" description: "\"“People write books for children and other people write about the books written for children but I don't think it's for the children at all. I that all..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/russell-hoban-7835_books_people-write-books-for-children-and-othe_1678049.png" --- # People write books for children and other people write… ![“People write books for children and other people write about the books written for children but I don't think it's for the children at all. I that all the people who worry so much about the children are really worrying about themselves, about keeping their world together and getting the children…” quote by Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/russell-hoban-7835_books_people-write-books-for-children-and-othe_1678049.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/russell-hoban-7835_books_people-write-books-for-children-and-othe_1678049.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/russell-hoban-7835_books_people-write-books-for-children-and-othe_1678049.png) > ““People write books for children and other people write about the books written for children but I don't think it's for the children at all. I that all the people who worry so much about the children are really worrying about themselves, about keeping their world together and getting the children to help them do it, getting the children to agree that it is indeed a world. Each new generation of children has to be told: 'This is a world, this is what one does, one lives like this.' Maybe our constant fear is that a generation of children will come along and say: 'This is not a world, this is nothing, there's no way to live at all.”” [Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques how adults use children's literature to reinforce their own worldview, fearing children will reject that constructed reality. **In simple terms:** Adults shape children's books to preserve their own worldview, fearing rebellion. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect children's independent perspectives. Themes education power generational dynamics literature control Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical social commentary literary criticism When to use this quote - parenting - teaching - writing children's - publishing - media criticism Key Concepts socialization authorial intent cultural transmission Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance guiding children with allowing them to define their own world? - What assumptions do we embed in children's stories? A Different Perspective Adults may project anxieties onto children, limiting authentic growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-really-588063/) [Children Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-told-758554/) [Think Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-children-247611/) [Worry Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry-children-927541/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Written Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-children-927542/) ## Related quotes > [I think that children that are acting are always pretty savvy anyway because you're conducting yourself around adults a lot of the time, aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-jensen/i-think-that-children-that-are-acting-are-always-pretty-savvy-anyway/) [Ashley Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-jensen/) > [Young people need to know that their dreams are possible. 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I know that, and I know he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/i-know-that-the-duke-of-edinburgh-s-rule-was-don-t-talk-about/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [It was not uncommon for the children to be told they were being treated this way because it was their bad karma and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-garden/it-was-not-uncommon-for-the-children-to-be-told-they-were-being/) [Mary Garden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-garden/) > [When I say that children should be told about sex, I do not mean that they should be told only the bare physiological facts;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/when-i-say-that-children-should-be-told-about-sex-i-do-not-mean-that/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If children had been told that they could not blow their noses, this alone would make adults blush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/if-children-had-been-told-that-they-could-not-blow-their-noses-this/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) ## More by Russell Hoban > [Sometimes there's nothing but Sundays for weeks on end. 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I that all the people who worry so much about the children are really worrying about themselves, about keeping their world together and getting the children to help them do it, getting the children to agree that it is indeed a world. Each new generation of children has to be told: 'This is a world, this is what one does, one lives like this.' 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