Big ideas from literature

"[This book] dares to ask the obvious but crucial questions about the whole business of reading: What is reading really for? What are stories trying to do for us? Why should we care? In a tone that's engaging and playful, we're shown how books help us to grow, why we cry about the fate of certain characters and how to read for genuine pleasure rather than to please a teacher or parent. Along the way, we learn about the history of literature and about some of the many . . . books from around the world we might enjoy"--OCLC.