An 8th grade yearbook quote should fit on one line, make sense to someone reading it in ten years, and clear whatever your school’s approval process is. Most yearbooks cap the quote at 100 characters and reject anything with a name in it, a song lyric under copyright, or a joke that only three people understand. Below are lines that pass, grouped by what you want the quote to do.
Short 8th grade yearbook quotes
Under forty characters. These always fit, and they never get cut for length.
- “Onward.” — the shortest quote that still means something
- “I came, I saw, I graduated.”
- “Made it. Barely.”
- “Four more years.”
- “Same brain, taller.”
- “See you in high school.”
- “Started at the bottom. Still here.”
- “Loading… 25%”
Short quotes age better than long ones. A one-liner reads as confident. A four-line paragraph under a photo of a thirteen-year-old reads as a thirteen-year-old trying very hard.
Funny yearbook quotes for 8th grade
Funny is the most requested category and the most rejected one. The rule of thumb: if the joke depends on a teacher’s name, a classmate’s name, or an event only your lunch table witnessed, it will not land in ten years and it may not get approved now.
- “I peaked in middle school. Probably.”
- “My mom picked this quote.”
- “Three years and I still can’t open my locker.”
- “I was told there’d be a yearbook quote.”
- “Attendance: excellent. Attention: less so.”
- “I’d like to thank the group project I did alone.”
- “Peaked at the science fair.”
- “Sorry, Mrs. — I did read the book.”
Leave the teacher’s name off that last one. Yearbook advisors cut names, and the blank is funnier anyway.
Inspirational 8th grade yearbook quotes
If you want a real quotation, use one that is actually sourced. These are.
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” — attributed to Abraham Lincoln, though no source in his writings has been found
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
“Not all those who wander are lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living
“Nine-tenths of education is encouragement.” — Anatole France
“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me.” — Jack Kerouac, On the Road
The Lincoln line is included because it appears in every yearbook in America and almost no one knows it is unsourced. If your school requires attribution, write “attributed to Abraham Lincoln” and you are covered.
Quotes about finishing middle school
For the transition itself, rather than for a joke or a life lesson.
- “Three years, one building, a lot of hallway.”
- “The part where it gets interesting starts now.”
- “Middle school: survived, occasionally enjoyed.”
- “I’ll miss this more than I expect to.”
- “Everyone here knew me before I figured anything out.”
That last category — the honest one — is the category people actually reread. A quote that admits the year was hard will mean more at twenty-five than a quote about chasing dreams.
How to pick your yearbook quote
Read your school’s rules first. Character limits, name policies, and lyric restrictions vary. Copyrighted song lyrics are the most common rejection, because reprinting them requires permission.
Say it out loud. If it sounds like something you would say, it is yours. If it sounds like a caption, it is not.
Check any quotation you did not write. Half the quotes attributed to Einstein, Twain, and Lincoln in yearbooks are misattributed. A ten-second search protects you from a permanent typo.
Cut it in half. Whatever you have written, the shorter version is better. Fifteen words is a lot for a yearbook.
Test it on the ten-year rule. Read it as if you are twenty-three, flipping through the book at your parents’ house. Inside jokes fail this test. Honesty passes it.
Quotes to avoid
Song lyrics, unless your yearbook explicitly permits them. Anything referencing a classmate by name. Anything referencing a teacher unkindly. Anything from a meme, which will date the page more precisely than the photo does. And “live, laugh, love,” which has appeared in yearbooks continuously since before you were born.
For the graduation-ceremony version of the same problem — cards, speeches, captions rather than a single yearbook line — see 8th grade graduation quotes. For lines about the three years themselves, see middle school quotes. If you are looking ahead, high school senior quotes covers the version you will need in four years, and graduation cap quotes covers the short-line format.
FAQ
What is a good 8th grade yearbook quote?
A short one that sounds like you. “Onward,” “See you in high school,” or a sourced line like Mandela’s “It always seems impossible until it’s done” all work.
How long should a yearbook quote be?
Most schools cap it around 100 characters. Aim for under fifteen words regardless of the cap.
Can I use a song lyric as my yearbook quote?
Usually not. Reprinting copyrighted lyrics requires permission, and most yearbook advisors reject them for that reason. Check your school’s policy before you submit.
Are funny yearbook quotes a good idea?
Yes, if the joke does not depend on names or on events nobody will remember. Self-deprecating humor ages better than references.
Do I have to attribute a quote in a yearbook?
If it is not yours, yes. And if the attribution is uncertain — Lincoln, Twain, Einstein — write “attributed to.” It is honest and it takes two words.
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