| Urban sixth-grade girls with diverse abilities and interests will participate in an after-school book club if provided the opportunity. For the girls in this study, interests in reading and in socializing with peers were motivating factors for joining, but the "special" or "exclusive" nature of book club, the access to and ownership of books and magazines, the opportunity to make decisions about how to run book club, and the opportunity to participate in an engaging activity were also influencing factors. The elements of access, choice, ownership, and the social interaction helped the members define and create a community of readers. The context was motivating, inclusive, and engaging, and the context was instrumental in attracting new members and maintaining membership. Reading became a social activity, and members voluntarily read for pleasure. As they read and discussed magazines and books, planned a play, and socialized, the girls shared opinions and interests, discovered commonalities, and built and cultivated relationships. The book club was an opportunity for the members to express and explore their identities as readers and as young adolescent girls from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. |
