Why read?

The image is of a display at Bird City Library in Kansas 

http://bird.mykansaslibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/no-app.jpg.  

The suggestion is that reading to a child as they sit on your lap (parent, grandparent) is a good bonding experience for both.  If this experience of 'reading' in a child's very early years is a positive and enjoyable one, then it should form a basis from which that child continues to read as they grow older.  Furthermore, as Haven (2007, p. 93) says the knowledge of story structure gained through this type of early exposure assists children with later comprehension of texts.  Some of my earliest memories are of my sister and I snuggled in under our dad's arms as he read to us each evening.   This is one of the reasons why I think that it is important for Teachers and Librarians to read exciting and interesting stories to their classes.  

Today I watched Princess Bride (for the umteenth time) and I was struck again by the value of reading to children. (In the movie, the grandfather comes to read to his sick grandson, and the book he brings is one that has been read to sons by the fathers of the family for several generations).  First thought is why that story?  It has a strong swashbuckling hero and a strong but feminine heroine and I imagine that one reason for reading it might have been to model roles.  Of course, in the movie the immediate goal is to entertain the boy, taking his mind of his sickness and being stuck in bed, while also providing him with some non-screen time.  In spite of the boy's initial hesitation due to the story's 'kissing' content, he soon becomes totally involved in the imaginary world of adventure that the reading evokes.  When the boy says "Grandpa, that's not fair" (the heroine was about to marry the bad guy) it struck me that this was another opportunity for the grandfather to teach the child about life, i.e. that it's not always fair - another didactic moment!