Fiction is an important element in children's development. It is a way to explore new places without leaving the safety of home. It is a method of examining human behavior without being reminded that it is impolite to stare. It is a way to try on new and different roles without risk of embarrassment. It can be a handy conversation starter, "Hey, have you taken the Newbery challenge, yet?" (For more details, click here, then scroll to the bottom of the page.) Fiction even allows the reader to dabble in unsafe behavior, such as sailing a pirate ship or saving the world from alien invaders, without endangering one hair on his/her head. It also allows the reader to escape reality for a short period of time, and who couldn't use a vacation from the present now and again?
Photo by Bonnybbx - Public Domain CC0 license - retrieved here