Reading for pleasure builds empathy in children, but fewer kids are picking up books just for the fun of it

By William Dee Nichols, Professor of Literacy, Language and Culture, University of Maine
Michelle Kearney, Professor of Literacy, University of Maine

Reading allows children to live in a vibrant world, surrounded by fairies, elves and talking animals, transporting them to places where the impossible becomes real. But reading for pleasure also helps children learn more effectively and broadens how they view, interpret and interact with the world. It gives them a form of expression that fuels their imagination and empathy for themselves and others.

But the percentage of children who read for fun is declining.…

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