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Madeleine LEngle Quotes about Children

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The journey homewards. Coming home. That's what it's all about. The journey to the coming of the Kingdom. That's probably the chief difference between the Christian and the secular artist--the purpose of the work, be it

The journey homewards. Coming home. That's what it's all about. The journey to the coming of the Kingdom. That's probably the chief difference between the Christian and the secular artist--the purpose of the work, be it story or music or painting, is to further the coming of the kingdom, to make us aware of our status as children of God, and to turn our feet toward home.

Madeleine L'Engle
Christian, Children, Home
Madeleine L'Engle (2016). “Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art”, p.135, Convergent Books

We can surely no longer pretend that our children are growing up into a peaceful, secure, and civilized world. We've come to the point where it's irresponsible to try to protect them from the irrational world they will have to live in when they grow up. The children themselves haven't yet isolated themselves by selfishness and indifference; they do not fall easily into the error of despair; they are considerably braver than most grownups. Our responsibility to them is not to pretend that if we don't look, evil will go away, but to give them weapons against it.

Madeleine L'Engle
Growing Up, Children, Fall
FaceBook post by Madeleine L'Engle from Nov 03, 2016

You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.

Madeleine L'Engle
Life, Beautiful, Children
Twitter post from Apr 21, 2016

The creative impulse can be killed, but it cannot be taught. What a teacher can do... in working with children, is to give the flame enough oxygen so that it can burn. As far as I'm concerned, this providing of oxygen is one of the noblest of all vocations.

Madeleine L'Engle
Teacher, Children, Oxygen
Madeleine L'Engle (2016). “A Circle of Quiet”, p.30, Open Road Media

The concentration of a small child at play is analogous to the concentration of the artist of any discipline. In real play, which is real concentration, the child is not only outside time, he is outside himself.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Real, Artist
Madeleine L'Engle (2016). “A Circle of Quiet”, p.8, Open Road Media

A self is not something static, tied up in a pretty parcel and handed to the child, finished and complete. A self is always becoming.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Self, Becoming
Madeleine L'Engle (2016). “A Circle of Quiet”, p.22, Open Road Media

One reason nearly half my books are for children is the glorious fact that the minds of children are still open to the living word; in the child, nightside and sunside are not yet separated; fantasy contains truths which cannot be stated in terms of proof.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Book, Mind
Madeleine L'Engle (2016). “The Irrational Season”, p.138, Open Road Media

When I am grappling with ideas which are radical enough to upset grown-ups, then I am likely to put these ideas into a story which will be marketed for children, because children understand what their parents have rejected and forgotten.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Ideas, Parent
Madeleine L'Engle (2016). “Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art”, p.91, Convergent Books

When I have something to say that I think will be too difficult for adults, I write it in a book for children. Children are excited by new ideas; they have not yet closed the doors and windows of their imaginations. Provided the story is good... nothing is too difficult for children.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Book, Writing

I believe that good questions are more important than answers, and the best children's books ask questions, and make the readers ask questions. And every new question is going to disturb someone's universe.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Believe, Book
Madeleine L'Engle (2012). “Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?”, p.987, Macmillan

Stories are like children. They grow in their own way.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Stories, Way
Madeleine L’Engle (2014). “A Wrinklein Time Quintet”, p.223, Obelix Books

When we can play with the unself-conscious concentration of a child, this is: art: prayer: love.

Madeleine L'Engle
Art, Prayer, Children
Twitter post from Nov 19, 2010

There are forces working in the world as never before in the history of mankind for standardization, for the regimentation of us all, or what I like to call making muffins of us, muffins all like every other muffin in the muffin tin. This is the limited universe, the drying dissipating universe that we can help our children to avoid by providing them with ‘explosive material capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly'.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Tin, World
Madeleine L'Engle (2012). “A Wrinkle in Time: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition”, p.219, Macmillan

When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Growing Up, Suicidal
"Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art". Book by Madeleine L'Engle, 1972.

Itt iss Eevill…" "What is going to happen?" "Wee wwill cconnttinnue tto ffightt!"… "And we’re not alone, you know, children," came Mrs.Whatsit, the comforter. "…some of the best fighters have come from your own planet…" "Who have our fighters been?" Calvin asked. "Oh, you must know them, dear," Mrs.Whatsit said. Mrs.Who’s spectacles shone out at them triumphantly. "And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Light, Darkness

How do we teach a child our own, or those in a classroom to have compassion: to allow people to be different; to understand that like is not equal; to experiment; to laugh; to love; to accept the fact that the most important questions a human being can ask do not have or need answers.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Compassion, People
Madeleine L'Engle (2017). “The Crosswicks Journals: A Circle of Quiet, The Summer of the Great-Grandmother, The Irrational Season, and Two-Part Invention”, p.33, Open Road Media

I never want to lose the story-loving child within me, or the adolescent, or the young woman, or the middle-aged one, because all together they help me to be fully alive on this journey, and show me that I must be willing to go where it takes me, even through the valley of the shadow.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Journey, Shadow

As the skipping rope hit the pavement, so did the ball. As the rope curved over the head of the jumping child, the child with the ball caught the ball. Down came the ropes. Down came the balls. Over and over again. Up. Down. All in rhythm. All identical. Like the houses. Like the paths. Like the flowers

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Flower, Jumping
Madeleine L'Engle (2013). “A Wrinkle in Time Trilogy”, p.60, Macmillan

I am still every age that I have been. Because I was once a child, I am always a child. Because I was once a searching adolescent, given to moods and ecstasies, these are still part of me, and always will be.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Age, Mood
Madeleine L'Engle (2016). “A Circle of Quiet”, p.119, Open Road Media

If I have something I want to say that is too difficult for adults to swallow, then I write it in a book for children. Children still haven't closed themselves off with fear of the unknown, fear of revolution, or the scramble for security. They are still familiar with the inborn vocabulary of myth

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Book, Writing
Madeleine L'Engle (2017). “The Crosswicks Journals: A Circle of Quiet, The Summer of the Great-Grandmother, The Irrational Season, and Two-Part Invention”, p.123, Open Road Media

What can we give a child when there is nothing left? All we have, I think, is the truth, the truth that will set him free, not limited, provable truth, but the open, growing, evolving truth that is not afraid.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Thinking, Giving
"A Circle of Quiet (Crosswicks Journals, Book 1)". Book by Madeleine L'Engle, 1971.

If it's not good enough for adults, it's not good enough for children. If a book that is going to be marketed for children does not interest me, a grownup, then I am dishonoring the children for whom the book is intended, and I am dishonoring books. And words.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Book, Not Good Enough
Madeleine L'Engle (2016). “A Circle of Quiet”, p.119, Open Road Media

The uncommon man has done the impossible and there has been that much more light in the world because of it. Children respond to heroes by thinking creatively and sometimes in breaking beyond the bounds of the impossible in their turn, and so becoming heroes themselves.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Hero, Men
Madeleine L'Engle (2017). “The Crosswicks Journals: A Circle of Quiet, The Summer of the Great-Grandmother, The Irrational Season, and Two-Part Invention”, p.113, Open Road Media

If I have something I want to say that is too difficult for adults to swallow, then I will write it in a book for children.

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Book, Writing
Twitter post from Jun 11, 2012

Oh child, your language is so utterly simple and limited that it has the affect of extreme complication. -Aunt Beast

Madeleine L'Engle
Children, Aunt, Simple

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