Yes. While encouraging the youngsters in my family I tell them “the mind is like a magical place which is bigger on the inside than on the outside.” And that “reading books makes the mind larger”. Though I don’t go much further on the philosophy, if I were to carry on with an adult I would point out that the introspection is a form of life experience. Throughout the rest of one’s life, every time someone remembers and relates to whatever was read, it counts internally as a developmental experience.

Reading leads to maturity on every dimension.