1. Literature provides pleasure to both listeners and readers. Any time you read literature, you are escaping from your problems and diving into another world.
2. Literature builds experience. When children read, they are learning about new places, gaining new experiences, and meeting new people. They are even learning about the past.
3. Literature provides a language model for those who hear it and read it. Literature exposes children to correct sentence patterns, expand their vocabulary, and learn standard story structures. 
4. Literature helps children develop thinking skills. When children take time to discuss the literature they read, they learn about cause and effect, reasoning, characters and settings, etc.
5. Literature also supports all areas of the language arts curriculum. For instance, when children listen to literature, they are developing their listening skills while discussion helps children express their thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
6. Reading literature helps children practice their comprehension skills in a meaningful ways. Writers can use literature as models for different genres of writing.
7. Literature may also help children deal with their problems. When children find out how characters in books deal with problems that they may be facing, they can apply what they learn to their own problems.

There are many benefits of literature. People young and old can grow mentally and emotionally by dipping into literary text on a daily basis. As more and more children are exposed to literature, we will begin to see a change in the world for the better as the benefits or literary engagement reach further than the individual.

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1. “Legacy of An Adopted Child” by Unknown Author

I love the way this poem describes how an adopted child has two moms and the roles they each play in the life of the child. At the end, it says “Heredity or environment–neither, just two different kinds of love.” I love this because it describes the feeling of an adopted child at some point in his or her life. I remember sitting in biology class learning about genetics. It was hard for me to determine my genetic traits because I don’t know my birth mom. I believe that some of my personality came from the way my adoptive mom raised me. I believe every adopted child wonders about their genetics, but it’s more important to know how your environment has shaped who you are.

2. “My Own Child” by Unknown Author

By using the analogy of a garden, this poem describes how an adoptive mom feels after raising an adopted child. In summary it says “Even though I did not plant you, I have harvested you.” While you may not have given birth to the child you are raising, you can still call that child your own. It all depends on how you raise the child. One day you will see the harvest.

3. “Dear Birth Mother” by Karen Ledbetter

This poem is a letter written to a birth mother to encourage her and thank her for the gift she has given. Many parents who adopt don’t have the ability to give birth to their own children so a lot of times, a baby is an answer to prayer.

4. “A Special Bond of Love” by Karen Ledbetter

This poem is also a letter written to a birth mother to thank her for the precious gift she has given. The author acknowledges in this poem that the child is still the child of the birth mother even though she has placed the child for adoption. Even though a birth mother and an adoptive mother may not know each other, they still share a special bond, the child, whom they both love.

5. “When Hope is Given” by Sheila T. Williams

I love that this poem is written through the eyes of an adopted child. This poem is a letter written to the adoptive parents thanking them for giving the child love and hope. The child realizes that he/she is a chosen child. For many children in foster care, it is hard to find hope because they come from a rough background and are moved from home to home. This poem really touches my heartstrings.

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