Why is reading and literacy valued as a central message?

• A. Entertainment
• B. Wealth
• C. The book demonstrates that knowledge empowers people to solve problems and achieve goals
• D. Physical health

Answer: (C)

Reading and literacy matter because they give people the tools to understand, reason, and act. In the story, the library is a toolkit: as characters read and learn, they gain knowledge they can use to decipher clues, plan strategies, and work together to reach their goals. That empowerment—knowledge turning into problem-solving ability—is the heart of why literacy is valued. The other ideas, like reading for entertainment, wealth, or health, aren’t the central message the book builds around.