It’s a common lesson in creative writing courses that the first line of a novel must capture a reader’s attention, draw readers into the story, and keep them reading to the end. With a children’s book, this can be more important – since kids are often more discriminating readers than adults and because many books for kids are read aloud, making it vital to have a first line that rolls right off the tongue.
With this in mind, test out the following first lines from old classics, current bestsellers, and cult favorites from the children’s section. Do they pique your curiosity and make you want to read on?
Cool Quotes from Funny Books
Goofy kids, child prodigies, and cheerleaders embark on some very offbeat adventures in these fun chapter books – which already hint at the narrators' skewed sense of humor.
“My best friend, Pete McKenzie, was a little upset. I could tell because his eyes were bulging and because he has me by the shirt collar and was shaking me.” – First lines from This Island Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us! By Gery Greer and Bob Ruddick
“It’s a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.” – First lines from Matilda by Roald Dahl
“For our dad’s forty-second birthday we decided to give him a wife. We decided this on August 5th, which gave us only ten days, since our dad’s birthday was coming up on August 15th. Luckily for us, our dad was out of town on business until then.” – First lines from The Search for Sarah Sanderson by Thomas McKean
“The problem with getting bad news is you hardly ever get to go home and cry, or sulk, or rip things up, like you’d like to. Usually you have to be someplace that requires you to smile and make pleasant conversation. That’s exactly what happened after I got my SAT scores.” – First lines from All’s Fair in Love, War, and High School by Janette Rallison
Fun Quotes From Science Fiction Fantasy Books
Sometimes, the most bizarre and amazing fantasy stories start with a unique problem that just keeps growing in the most unexpected ways...
“My name is Elfangor. I am an Andalite prince. And I am about to die. My fighter is damaged. I have crash-landed on the surface of a planet called Earth. I believe that my great Dome ship has been destroyed. I fear that my little brother Aximili is already dead.” – First lines to The Andalite Chronicles by K.A. Applegate.
“All I needed was handcuffs. If my wrists had been chained to the seat, the scene could have been taken straight from one of those movies where they show the bus bringing the new guy to the prison.” – First lines from Hidden Talents by David Lubar
“Meg and Belch were doing a job. Meg and Belch. Sounded like some sort of comedy double act. But it wasn’t. There was nothing funny about breaking in to an old-timer’s apartment.” – First lines from The Wish List by Eoin Colfer
“There could be no doubt of the fact: Princess Ozma, the lovely girl ruler of the Fairyland of Oz, was lost. She had completely disappeared. Not one of her subjects – not even her closest friends – knew what had become of her.” – First lines from The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
Quotes From Problem Books
In the hands of a skilled author, even the most realistic fiction can take on poetic and humorously ironic qualities – as seen in these opening lines from new and old problem books.
“The sea gives, and the sea takes away. The sea gave me a great deal, but fickle as it is, it tried to steal it back, and nearly me with it.” – First lines to Sand Dollar Summer by Kimberly K. Jones.
“My father is always talking about how a dog can be very educational for a boy. This is one reason I got a cat.” – First lines to It’s Like This, Cat by Emily Neville
“I first met Kelly in Central Park on one of those New York August days when a can of soda is worth more than gold. I was playing my guitar and singing, trying to ease a little money from the endless stream of tourists.” – First lines from Kelly ‘n Me by Myron Levoy
The Last Words on First Lines
Of course, first lines can only hint at the problems the characters in the book must face -- or the adventures the reader will get to enjoy along with the heroes. But if you felt yourself getting drawn into these stories just by reading these opening lines, then odds are you'll continue to lose yourself in the subsequent words and chapters – all the way to the inevitably satisfying last lines.
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