Twelve quotes to inspire students to make friends with a book
Books have been great friends of mine for my entire life. They have helped me through times of sorrow and grief, they have taught me the skills to master challenges, they have helped me escape to new worlds when this one was a little too much to take. Books are constant and continual friends for me.
So, it is probably not a surprise to you that I want my students to have books that are friends as well. When I first mention the idea, some of my students roll their eyes. They are fifth graders, after all, and eye rolling is a skill they excel at and practice often. But, as the year rolls on, I notice many students quietly making friends with a book. Activities like Bring-a-Book-to-School Day help, and so do Quote Marks.
Quote Marks are simply book marks with encouraging, and sometimes funny, sayings on them. I generally post the quotes in the Book Nook, sometimes sticking them in surprising places for students to find as they peruse the shelves (for example, the quote from Diane Duane goes on the wall behind her tub of books). I put the same quotes on book marks and let students choose the ones they like. I also use the quote posters as Quick Write prompts to really get kids thinking about the quote. Many of the quotes express the author’s view of books as friends, so they reinforce that I’m not the only one crazy enough to think that!
I’ve put together some of my favorite Quote Marks as a resource on TPT. Click here to grab it!
These are the quotes I’ve used in the resource in case you prefer to make your own.
“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”
J.K. Rowling
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”
Groucho Marx
“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
Neil Gaiman
“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.”
Diane Duane
“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.”
Lemony Snicket
“…books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.”
Roald Dahl
“It is well known that reading quickens the growth of a heart like nothing else.”
Catherynne M. Valente
“Think before you speak. Read before you think.”
Fran Leibowitz
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
Charles W. Eliot
“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”
Jhumpa Lahiri
“Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.”
E.B. White
“You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.”
Paul Sweeney
For more tips on how I use this in my classroom, check out this video. Thanks for stopping by today, and Happy Teaching!