"Required" reading

We talked this morning a bit about why people read books about things that happened 'way back when." Sometimes we find historical stories interesting and sometimes not. What makes one story more interesting than another? Is it because we like that time period in history, for example, the medieval times? Or do we like characters in one story better than another? Anna mentioned she likes the characters in Anne of Green Gables and Little Britches because they sometimes get into trouble and they do funny or crazy things. That makes me think that maybe we like stories with characters like us, or characters who do things we wish we could do. What do you think about this?

I also like to read how characters interact with one another. Maybe that's because my friends and family are important to me. How do the characters in Little Britches interact with each othe? How does Ralph treat his parents? How does he treat his sister? Who are his friends? How can you tell?