I remember heaing someone once say that nothing opens a child's world more than learning to read. It's so true. There are other big milestones that give kids immediate boosts in freedom and awareness (learning to ride a bike comes to mind), but reading really does transform one's world. And not just when we first learn to read, but as we continue to read - new forms, new genres, new authors - and discover the different worlds that stories allow us to enter. Everything we read adds a new layer to our existence. It's one of the reasons I so love to write.