Textbooks research over the last two to three decades tends to suggest that the availability of textbooks, especially in schools in developing countries, is associated with student achievement. Such conclusions based largely on quantitative studies provide very little information about pupils' access to and use of books, and the actual interaction between teachers, pupils and texts. This case study of classrooms in a public primary school in Ghana draws on observation, interviews and focus group discussions with teachers and reveals how a wide range of factors determine pupils' access to literacy, including classroom dynamics, class size, seating arrangements, classroom norms and culture, and teachers' understanding and interpretation of the official textbook policy. (Contains 3 figures.)