Our strange times present us with new situations to face almost daily and how to think about and celebrate the holiday season this month is just one of them. In olden times, before the printing press, the court jester held up a mirror to the events of the day and gave people different perspectives to consider. Literature does that too—including children’s literature.

Below are just ten of many wonderful quotes from children’s books that are beautifully relevant to our times.

Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet? —Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever; you just have to live. ―Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name. —The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light. –Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be. –A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you. —The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are. —Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Words can be worrisome, people complex, motives and manners unclear. Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right, free from unkindness and fear. —Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman

It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then. –Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy. –Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

And even though 10 on the 10th shares just 10 in a list, here is a final quote that hopefully will lift the spirits and warm the heart of every writer:

So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone. ―Matilda by Roald Dahl