--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Child, all books are magic. Just think,'…" description: "\"“Child, all books are magic. Just think,' he said, 'about what books make people do. People go to war on the basis of what they read in books. They bel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/scarlett-thomas-8232_book_child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he_37599.jpg" --- # Child, all books are magic. Just think,' he said, 'about… ![“Child, all books are magic. Just think,' he said, 'about what books make people do. People go to war on the basis of what they read in books. They believe in "facts" just because they are written down. They decide to adopt political systems, to travel to one place rather than another, to give up…” quote by Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/scarlett-thomas-8232_book_child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he_37599.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/scarlett-thomas-8232_book_child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he_37599.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/scarlett-thomas-8232_book_child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he_37599.jpg) > ““Child, all books are magic. Just think,' he said, 'about what books make people do. People go to war on the basis of what they read in books. They believe in "facts" just because they are written down. They decide to adopt political systems, to travel to one place rather than another, to give up their job and go on a great adventure, to love or to hate. All books have tremendous power. And power is magic.' 'But are these books really magic...?”” [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Books shape beliefs and actions, turning written ideas into powerful forces that can drive conflict, ideology, and personal change. **In simple terms:** Literature influences thought and behavior. Key Takeaway Reading wields transformative power. Themes Power of narrative Influence on belief Social manipulation Personal agency Magic of ideas Mood Reflective Cautious Type Philosophical Observational When to use this quote - Political persuasion - Motivation for war - Career shifts - Adventure seeking Key Concepts Ideas as catalysts Cultural conditioning Authority of text Practical Applications - Critical reading education - Media literacy programs Questions to Reflect On - How does the medium of a book amplify its influence? - When does belief in written words become harmful? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [We have everything we need to be happy but we aren't happy. Something is missing... It is not books you need, it's some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-have-everything-we-need-to-be-happy-but-we-aren-t-happy-something-2/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I believe in the magic of books. I believe that during certain periods in our lives we are drawn to particular books--whether it's strolling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/i-believe-in-the-magic-of-books-i-believe-that-during-certain-periods/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [I don't believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-believe-in-the-kind-of-magic-in-my-books-but-i-do-believe/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't do magic with books unless they're very special copies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/you-can-t-do-magic-with-books-unless-they-re-very-special-copies/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) > [We didn't have a whole lot of money when I was growing up either. I would always ask for magic books or magic tricks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-burton/we-didn-t-have-a-whole-lot-of-money-when-i-was-growing-up-either-i/) [Lance Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-burton/) > [I had loved magic tricks from the time I was six or seven. I bought books on magic. I did magic acts for my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/i-had-loved-magic-tricks-from-the-time-i-was-six-or-seven-i-bought/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I am drawn to writing books about magic and the supernatural because those are the types of books I like to read. I've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-am-drawn-to-writing-books-about-magic-and-the-supernatural-because/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Some people said there was a secret society trained precisely for that purpose, toiling away generation after generation, poring over the book and copying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/traci-chee/some-people-said-there-was-a-secret-society-trained-precisely-for/) [Traci Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/traci-chee/) > [“Books...the magic carpet ride of a lifetime”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-m-lauderdale/books-the-magic-carpet-ride-of-a-lifetime/) Janice M. Lauderdale > [“It’s hard to believe there are people that don’t read books. There’s so much magic in words and well told stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-toni-graham/it-s-hard-to-believe-there-are-people-that-don-t-read-books-there-s/) [C. Toni Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-toni-graham/) > [Books are magic: you never know where they're going to end up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/books-are-magic-you-never-know-where-they-re-going-to-end-up/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [“I can hazily remember, long ago, having adults — librarians, friends’ parents — suggest to me that I liked books “with magic” because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-miller/i-can-hazily-remember-long-ago-having-adults-librarians-friends/) [Laura Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-miller/) > [I've read too many books to believe what I am told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suheir-hammad/i-ve-read-too-many-books-to-believe-what-i-am-told/) [Suheir Hammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suheir-hammad/) > [ “We love to buy books because we believe we're buying the time to read them. \[ Inside Out (VH1)\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-zevon/we-love-to-buy-books-because-we-believe-we-re-buying-the-time-to-read/) [Warren Zevon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-zevon/) > [I believe in books. I believe more in 'cross-media' - how characters are adapting across mediums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bing-gordon/i-believe-in-books-i-believe-more-in-cross-media-how-characters-are/) [Bing Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bing-gordon/) ## More by Scarlett Thomas > [“Someone who has the delusion Glass, is made of, does not literally believe herself to be made of glass but rather feels fragile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/someone-who-has-the-delusion-glass-is-made-of-does-not-literally/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [Living for ever would be like marrying yourself, with no possibility of a divorce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/living-for-ever-would-be-like-marrying-yourself-with-no-possibility/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [But I quite like the way you can talk about science without necessarily using mathematics, but using metaphors instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/but-i-quite-like-the-way-you-can-talk-about-science-without/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“My mind now has a celebration party and a funeral going on in the same room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/my-mind-now-has-a-celebration-party-and-a-funeral-going-on-in-the/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [You can't do science in a novel, but you can do philosophy. Or, if you're really lucky, you can manage to pose a question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/you-can-t-do-science-in-a-novel-but-you-can-do-philosophy-or-if-you/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Even if you did drop into someone's consciousness, you'd have all their memories and desires and hang-ups right there in front of you. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-consciousness-you-d-have-all/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [I erased the thought from my mind, but I couldn't undo the fact that I'd had the thought in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/i-erased-the-thought-from-my-mind-but-i-couldn-t-undo-the-fact-that-i/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“They really do have nothing in common on paper, these people and him. But yet there are so many common reference points; even some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/they-really-do-have-nothing-in-common-on-paper-these-people-and-him/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Aquinas wondered what would happen if God wanted to achieve universal resurrection. In other words, bringing everybody who had ever lived back to life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/aquinas-wondered-what-would-happen-if-god-wanted-to-achieve-universal/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“There's something romantic about it, of course, in the way only other people's lives can be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/there-s-something-romantic-about-it-of-course-in-the-way-only-other/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [Routine kills creative thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/routine-kills-creative-thought/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [You tell them what a happy ending consists of, which is always individual success. You tell them that nothing irrational exists in this world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/you-tell-them-what-a-happy-ending-consists-of-which-is-always/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [I hate stereotypes and I hate cliche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/i-hate-stereotypes-and-i-hate-cliche/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Not all events are stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/not-all-events-are-stories/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“I have sometimes told people, probably wrongly, that there’s no point in writing at all if you don’t feel that there’s something you absolutely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/i-have-sometimes-told-people-probably-wrongly-that-there-s-no-point/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) [Explore all 81 Scarlett Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) ## 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": "“Child, all books are magic. Just think,' he said, 'about what books make people do. People go to war on the basis of what they read in books. They believe in \"facts\" just because they are written down. They decide to adopt political systems, to travel to one place rather than another, to give up their job and go on a great adventure, to love or to hate. All books have tremendous power. And power is magic.' 'But are these books really magic...?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scarlett Thomas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he-said-about-what-books-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he-said-about-what-books-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/scarlett-thomas-8232_book_child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he_37599.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/scarlett-thomas-8232_book_child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he_37599.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/scarlett-thomas-8232_book_child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he_37599.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Child, all books are magic. Just think,' he said, 'about what books make people do. People go to war on the…” — Scarlett Thomas", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Scarlett Thomas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Child, all books are magic. Just...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he-said-about-what-books-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he-said-about-what-books-make/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```