Noting the major changes in mothers' work lives and the significance that out-of-home care arrangements take on in children's lives, this book is a collection of accounts of what children do after school, both outside and inside after-school centers. The centers described are in differing communities, with differing values and differing ways of doing things. Centers include those in public schools, libraries, and labs; in small towns, small cities near large universities, and large cities; with both academic and non academic programs; and serving both younger and older children. Following an introduction to the book (Ruth Garner), the chapters are as follows: (1) "An Alternative to Self-Care in a Small Midwestern Town" (Ruth Garner, Yong Zhao, and Mark Gillingham); (2)"After-School Literacy Clubs: A Mix of Media, Books, and Desires" (Donna E. Alvermann, Margaret C. Hagood, Alison Heron, Josephine Peyton Young, and Beth Jones Ricks); (3) "University Students Promoting Science in the Community" (Susan P. Bruce and Bertram C. Bruce); (4) "The Persistence of Vision: A Reflective Examination and Narrative of Sustainability and Fulfillment in a Small After-School Program" (Dean J. Grosshandler and Elizabeth Niswander Grosshandler); (5) "Experiments with Design in an After-School Asian Literature Club" (Sapna Vyas and Punyashloke Mishra); (6) "After-School Tutoring and Children at Risk" (Barbara A. Wasik, Mary Alice Bond, and Annemarie Hindman); (7) "Working at Play in Four Chicago Computer Clubs" (Ellen Youniss, Mark Gillingham, Donna Nowatzki, and Erin Roche); (8) "Cultural Practices in Fifth Dimension Sites around the World" (Margaret A. Gallego and William E. Blanton); (9) "Commentary: Ingredients of Successful After-School ProgramsThe Experience of KLICK" (Yong Zhao and Mark Gillingham); (10) "Commentary: Crossing Lines" (Patricia A. Alexander and Jonna M. Kulikowich); and (11) "Commentary: After-School Programs and Structured Activities That Support Children's Development." (Deborah Lowe Vandell and Kim M. Pierce). An index and information about the editors and contributors is included. (Individual chapters contain references.) (HTH)