diff --git a/src/scanner.rs b/src/scanner.rs
index 11a9e65..7192830 100644
--- a/src/scanner.rs
+++ b/src/scanner.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::any::Any;
+
 use crate::tokens::{Token, TokenType};
 use crate::tokens::TokenType::*;
 
@@ -99,10 +101,32 @@ impl Scanner<'_> {
             ' ' => {}
             '\t' => {}
             '\r' => {}
+            '\"' => self.string(),
             _ => {}
         }
     }
 
+    /// handle string literals
+    /// advances until a terminating double quote is found and then adds the string token to the list
+    /// raises an interpreter error when the double-quote is not found and the end of the source has been reached
+    fn string(&mut self) {
+        while self.peek(0) != '\"' && !self.is_at_end() {
+            if self.peek(0) == '\n' {
+                self.line += 1;
+            }
+            self.advance();
+        }
+
+        if self.is_at_end() {
+            self.report_error(self.line, "unterminated string");
+        } else {
+            self.advance();
+
+            let value = String::from(&self.source[self.start + 1..self.current - 1]);
+            self.add_token_literal(STRING, Box::new(value));
+        }
+    }
+
     /// advance (consume) one character and return that
     fn advance(&mut self) -> char {
         self.current += 1;
@@ -116,6 +140,13 @@ impl Scanner<'_> {
         self.tokens.push(token);
     }
 
+    /// adds a token of the given type and content
+    fn add_token_literal(&mut self, token_type: TokenType, literal: Box<dyn Any>) {
+        let text = &self.source[self.start..self.current];
+        let token = Token { token_type: token_type, lexeme: text, literal: literal, line: self.line };
+        self.tokens.push(token);
+    }
+
     /// returns true iff the end of the source has been reached
     fn is_at_end(&self) -> bool {
         self.current >= self.source.len()
@@ -145,4 +176,10 @@ impl Scanner<'_> {
         self.current += 1;
         true
     }
+
+    /// prints the error and sets the flag
+    pub fn report_error(&mut self, line: usize, message: &str) {
+        self.error_occured = true;
+        println!("[line {} ] Error {} ", line, message);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/tests.rs b/src/tests.rs
index b8d8b47..694401f 100644
--- a/src/tests.rs
+++ b/src/tests.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,16 @@ fn test_scan_double_char_tokens() {
     let token = tokens.get(0).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(token.token_type, GREATEREQUAL);
     assert_eq!(token.lexeme, ">=");
-
-    let token = tokens.get(1).unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(token.token_type, EOF);
+}
+
+
+#[test]
+fn test_scan_string_literals() {
+    let tokens = scan_tokens("\"hello world\"").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(tokens.len(), 2);
+
+    let token = tokens.get(0).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(token.token_type, STRING);
+    assert_eq!(token.lexeme, "\"hello world\"");
+    assert_eq!(token.get_literal_as_string().unwrap(), "hello world");
 }
diff --git a/src/tokens.rs b/src/tokens.rs
index 42bdc3a..7765e4b 100644
--- a/src/tokens.rs
+++ b/src/tokens.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ pub struct Token<'a> {
     pub token_type: TokenType,
 }
 
+impl Token<'_>{
+    pub fn get_literal_as_string(&self) -> Option<&str>{
+        self.literal.downcast_ref::<String>().map(|s|s.as_str())
+    }
+}
+
 impl fmt::Debug for Token<'_> {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         let lit = match self.literal.downcast_ref::<String>() {
@@ -56,5 +62,8 @@ pub enum TokenType {
     LESS,           // <
     LESSEQUAL,      // <=
 
+    // Literals.
+    STRING,
+
     EOF         // end of file
 }
\ No newline at end of file