Children are sufficiently different from adults. There exists a literature written specifically for children which attempts to fulfill children s needs for special texts. Who you are, that is, all the experiences and knowledge you have gained, will influence how you perceive and understand literature, specifically children s literature. Children s literature tends to create special worlds and to evoke moods and feelings unlike those provided by other forms of literature. The ability to enjoy literature is a learned skill.
Readers tend to come from homes where reading occurs.
The implied reader is the person for whom the text is written. In the process of reading and making sense of the text we can construct the characteristics and qualities of the implied reader . A repertoire is the knowledge and experiences of life and of other literature which a text assumes the implied reader possesses. A set of strategies is part of the repertoire of the implied reader . Strategies for reading a literary text will be covered later in the term.