THE CITY READING PROGRAM FOR DETROIT WAS EVALUATED ON THE VERBAL COMPETENCE, INTEREST APPEAL FOR REREADING AND THE INFLUENCE ONCHILDREN'S ATTITUDES. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED A NEW SERIES OF TEXTBOOKS WHICH WERE SHORTER, SUSPENSEFUL AND STRESSED UNIQUE. VOCABULARY AND MIXED RACIAL SITUATIONS. THE ACCOMPANYING TEACHER'S MANUAL FOR THE PROGRAM PLACES EMPHASIS ON SOCIAL OBJECTIVES AS WELL AS SKILL OBJECTIVES. IN EVERY GROUPING THERE WAS A GREATER INCREASE IN VERBAL COMPETENCE WITH THE NEW TEXTBOOK SERIES THAN WITH THE STANDARD SERIES. THE MOST STRIKING RESULTS WERE WITH A GROUP OF CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED NEGRO STUDENTS. THE INTEREST APPEAL OF CITY SCHOOL'S NEW SERIES FAR EXCEEDS THAT OF THE STANDARD SERIES, AGAIN BEING ESPECIALLY POPULAR WITH THE CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED. THE SHORTER BOOKS HAVE BEEN USED SUCESSFULLY BY CULTURALLY-VARIED URBAN CHILDREN BECAUSE THE SERIES AS A WHOLE IS TRULY REPRESENTATIVE OF CITY LIFE.