where racism is still one of the major unresolved social problems, books may be one of the few places where children who are socially isolated and insulated from the larger world may meet people unlike themselves.
When children are bullied and feel like their presence is unwanted they often turn to isolation and want to try to escape from the world. And many fiction books allow them to do that, these books allow their imagination to become apart of the story, and make them feel comfortable and excited to continue reading something they love to read.