Why does the library emphasize pleasure reading for children?
Easy.
Because people - including kids - tend to do the things they like doing. (Not a terribly radical notion.)
When kids read materials they find interesting, valuable, and, well, pleasurable, they are more likely to enjoy reading. And if they enjoy reading, they will read more. And the more they read, the better they will become as readers.
Pretty soon, a kid who starts out reading only joke books will eventually, particularly with the guidance of caring adults, graduate to chapter books and then possibly even award-winning books.
But if they're not reading at all? They'll never get the chance to see what they're missing.
I read this aphorism recently, and it's apt for this topic: "As adults, we shouldn't care so much about our children's reading TASTES until we are sure there is a reading HUNGER."
- Laura Raphael, Children's Services Coordinator