The purposes of this study were to investigate the phenomenon of children's interest in fairy tales, to identify the point at which the reader's interest corresponds most highly with the nature of a book or story, and to analyze the sources of data that lead to common characteristics between reader and tale. Chapters include discussion of analytic methodologies for gauging children's interest in fairy tales, psychological and literary sources of information, the establishment of correspondences between children and fairy tales, explanations of children's interest in fairy tales, and implications for parents, teachers, and researchers. It was concluded that, generally, fairy tales embody an accurate representation of the child's conception of the world. Children are attracted by the predictability of fairy tales; those younger than eight years are attracted to the form because, through their form and content, the tales reaffirm assumptions which characterize the world as a stable and gratifying universe. (KS)