We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional. Walter Dean Myers More Quotes by Walter Dean Myers More Quotes From Walter Dean Myers Books transmit values. They explore our common humanity. What is the message when some children are not represented in those books? Walter Dean Myers common-humanity book children When I began to read, I began to exist Walter Dean Myers Cutting people out of your life is easy, keeping them in is hard. Walter Dean Myers cutting friendship people the beast is the monster that destroys your dream Walter Dean Myers beast dream monsters Everything in life is made up...You make up that you are happy. You make up that you are sad. You make up that you are in love. If you don't make up your own life, who's going to make it up for you? It's bad enough when you die and everybody can make up their own stories about you. —Mr. Hooft Walter Dean Myers enough life-is stories We need to tell young people that America was built by men and women of all colors and that the future of this country is dependent on the participation of all of our citizens. Walter Dean Myers men country america We all know we should eat right and we should exercise, but reading is treated as if it's this wonderful adjunct. Walter Dean Myers reading exercise wonderful Reading is not optional. Walter Dean Myers optional reading Think about all the tomorrows of your life. Walter Dean Myers tomorrow thinking It is this language of values which I hope to bring to my books. . . . I want to bring values to those who have not been valued, and I want to etch those values in terms of the ideal. Young people need ideals which identify them, and their lives, as central . . . guideposts which tell them what they can be, should be, and indeed are. Walter Dean Myers book people needs I had seen the ballet of Swan Lake as a child but it was as an adult, when I saw a production featuring Erik Bruhn, that I first noticed how significant a part the ever-present threat of violence played. This juxtaposition of great beauty and grace with a backdrop of pure evil stayed with me for years. Walter Dean Myers swans lakes children But in the end, we learn we can forgive most people. The cushion of mortality makes their wrongdoing seem less dark, and whatever roads they traveled seem less foolhardy. Walter Dean Myers forgiving dark people I'll never live to write all the stories I have in my head. Walter Dean Myers stories writing It's a hard life sometimes and the biggest temptation is to let how hard it is be an excuse to weaken Walter Dean Myers hard-life temptation sometimes With my writing, what I want to do is humanize the young people I write about. Walter Dean Myers want writing people I want young people to be hesitant to glorify war and to demand of their leaders justification for the sacrifices they ask of our citizens. Walter Dean Myers sacrifice war people Each time I think there is no place lower to go, I find that there is at least one place that will mess you up worse than you were. Walter Dean Myers mess thinking I think it's difficult for young people to acknowledge being smart, to knowledge being a reader. I see kids who are embarrassed to read books. They're embarrassed to have people see them doing it. Walter Dean Myers smart kids book Each of us is born with a history already in place Walter Dean Myers born How deep is your game? Walter Dean Myers games
