One of our stories today looks at how books can help children learn to be resilient and brave. But more broadly, it touches on a favorite topic of mine: why we should read fiction at any age.

Whether aimed at 6-year-olds or at adults, fiction lets us jump into the unfamiliar, be it fun, surprising, or even scary. We see others’ responses and imagine how we might stretch ourselves. Perhaps that’s why retired U.S. Adm. James Stavridis, author of numerous nonfiction books, chose to co-write a novel three years ago. To be sure, it imagined a future global conflict, not being a brave little bear.

But as he noted in an Audible interview, “We need to imagine more in terms of dangers, cautions, and stories. ... Fiction is how we can do that.”