Kindergarteners love to pick their own books, cheer for characters as they solve their problems, and make predictions about what will happen in a story.  They often chime in during familiar stories, explore multiple books on a topic such as snakes, and by the end of the year will have the skills of a beginning reader.  Sometimes books offer children the opportunity to see themselves, with characters whose lives and experiences are much like their own.  At other times, books offer views into the larger world and children experience lives that are much different from their own.  Falling in love with reading helps children understand and make sense of their lives and the world around them.