Grace Lapointe’s fiction has been published in Kaleidoscope, Deaf Poets Society, Mobius: The Journal of Social Change, and is forthcoming in Corporeal Lit Mag. Her essays and poetry have been published in Wordgathering. Her stories and essays—including ones that she wrote as a college student—have been taught in college courses and cited in books and dissertations. More of her work is at https://gracelapointe.wordpress.com, Medium, and Ao3.
A memorable opening line grabs a reader’s attention immediately. Children’s authors have even less room to make a great impression than authors of fiction for adults. In a short book for audiences with less reading and life experience, every word counts. These lines introduce the books’ characters, settings, and themes. Often, the themes include family, culture, and identity. They set the story’s tone and hint at characters’ personalities and relationships.
A book may be a child’s first introduction to a topic or genre. Opening lines that might seem ordinary or even cliché in fiction for adults can be funny, fresh, and inventive in fiction for kids. Kidlit has more variety in general and room to be playful.
Despite the books’ emotional impact, our memories of childhood classics may be vague. You might not even remember the exact titles. For example, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is more frequently called Alice in Wonderland. In this quiz, there’s no need to type the titles. Just think of the answers, then scroll down to check, or skip to the end.
These books may be your old favorites, or your kids’ or students’ current favorites. This quiz may jog your memory or surprise you. Either way, have fun!
Opening Lines:
“The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home.”
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“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.
“My name is Zuri, and I have hair that has a mind of its own.”
“The only person left alive on the island was a baby girl.”
“Little Man, would you come on? You keep it up and you’re gonna make us late.”
“Eh, Tree-ear! Have you hungered well today?”
“All children, except one, grow up.”
“It was a dark and stormy night.”
“That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me.”
“Our story begins on the ocean, with wind and rain and thunder and lightning and waves.”
Ready for the Answers?
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
“The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home.”
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
“My name is Zuri, and I have hair that has a mind of its own.”
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
“Little Man, would you come on? You keep it up and you’re gonna make us late.”
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Our story begins on the ocean, with wind and rain and thunder and lightning and waves.
English (US) · 