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influence. The world of the text is a temporal place where a reader may lose himself for a time, a place where he may participate emotively, and a place from which he may exit at will. Perhaps children inherently understand this. If they do not, it is difficult to explain how they allow themselves to become so immersed in a book at all. The motivation to open a fantasy story book appears primarily to lose one's self for a time. Children understand that Harry's world is limited and affected by forces which do not exist in the real world. That is why kids want to interact with that world - because it is an interesting alternative to boring reality.

The appeal of aesthetically experiencing the alternative world presented in a book plays a significant role in capturing the initial interest of a reader. Setting, particularly in fantasy literature, allows the characters to have actions and reactions that are not always possible in the real world. In identifying with a character in a constructed world, the chance to satisfy curiosity about that world and the experiences it offers becomes available to the reader. In a narrative, the reader may feel an intimacy with a carefully constructed setting through close attention to the movements of the character, which satisfies to a degree the common human desire for diversity of experience. Rowling has recognised that desire through her own reading experiences as a child and an adult, and it shows in her work. The books give the reader the impression that he/she and the author are somehow making their journey together, exploring together and through Harry.

Statistics show that 63 per cent of Australians are not engaging in voluntary reading as a leisure activity (Australia Council for the Arts, 2005). Of the remaining readers, the largest proportion enjoy being drawn into fictional worlds, through their specific areas of personal interest. Yet it appears that many adolescent readers are failing to capitalise on the opportunity for "vicarious experience" of alternate worlds in both their school and their leisure time (Australia Council for the Arts, 2005). One probable explanation for this is the apparent failure of many readers to successfully engage with books at school and enjoy an aesthetic literary experience.

It is important to foster in children a liking for stories. Each enjoyable literary experience, whether read independently or read out aloud to others, will ultimately affect the valuing of reading for the enjoyment

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