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Abstract The author identified books most often selected among a sample of economically disadvantaged Black 8- to 12-year-old participants (N = 293) and investigated reasons participants offered for choosing specific books. Participants self-selected books at a book fair providing 412 books. The most commonly selected books supplied descriptive data. Participants most frequently chose fiction and series books and books reflective of the media and mass marketing. Girls selected nonfiction books more often than boys. In addition to the descriptive data, the author used participants' spontaneous talk and interview responses to formulate a grounded theory regarding why participants selected certain books. The author discusses the theory that everyday culture overarched participants' books selection descriptions and sources of familiarity. Keywords: Black studentsbook selectionseconomically disadvantaged studentsreading interests
Lunetta M. Williams (Mon,) studied this question.