It is generally acknowledged that children are attracted to a particular genre of book, or many of them
have a favourite author that they like to read time and time again. So much for the benefits of reading
for pleasure, some parents still think reading story books serves no real purpose. I vehemently
disagree with this opinion.
To children, reading comic books is an enormous source of not only pleasure but indeed stimulation
for the brain. Research has confirmed that young readers tend to create mental simulations of
situations encountered in a book/and weave these together to generate a new way of thinking. For
instance, comparisons between the real world and that in fantasy are usually formed when children
are exposed to characters and cultures they may not otherwise interact with in real life. This
evolutionary transformation takes place only when they lose themselves unconditionally in a book,
regardless of what type it is. There is also a growing body of evidence indicating that those who read
more are better readers and do significantly better at school. In this regard, if a student gravitates
toward a comic book, that should be encouraged instead of frowned upon. More importantly, reading
comic books, seemingly senseless, does lend a hand to educate children. Typically packed with
images, comics can encourage young children to read between the lines, understand sequencing and
infer meaning from snippets alongside visual cues, which is a complex yet necessary reading skill.
In conclusion, although whether reading story books is worthwhile is moot, it cannot be denied that
children's choice of books often reveals their developing personalities. I believe that it is our job as
educators and parents to use their reading preference as a springboard for recommendations of more
substantive literature.
