Studies show that students who read for pleasure outside of school test better, have higher GPAs, and are hired for more desirable careers later in life. But nearly half of nine year olds who read for pleasure stop by age seventeen. Since 2007, BookUpNYC has been reversing that trend. BookUp NYC hires acclaimed, local authors to lead after-school reading groups designed to improve students’ social, emotional, and literacy skills. Instructors use creative, interactive lessons to deepen students engagement with the books they read. BookUpNYC students develop their own reading list with the guidance of the author/instructor, and all books received by students are theirs to keep. By the end of 24 sessions of BookUpNYC over the course of the school year, students will have received enough free book to form the basis of their own home library. Each middle school student in the BookUp program is also taken on field trips to local libraries and bookstores, where they receive a small budget to purchase books of their choosing.This is often their first opportunity to build libraries for themselves and their families. Since its inception, BookUpNYC has provided its students with over 25,000 books free of charge. Our third party evaluation has shown that students who complete just one year of BookUp are 56% more likely to visit libraries on their own, and 50% more likely to engage in public speaking and join group discussions. We are creating not just a new generation of readers, but a new generation of confident, engaged citizens.