SINCE FEBRUARY 1976, PROJECT READ HAS WORKED WITH ALMOST 40,000 TROUBLED YOUTH FROM 322 INSTITUTIONS, ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS IN 49 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. CLOSE TO 600 TEACHERS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN TRAINING WORKSHOPS AND MORE THAN 160,000 PAPERBACK BOOKS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE NATION. SPECIFICALLY, PROJECT READ HAS ACCOMPLISHED THE FOLLOWING: (1) PROVIDED TEACHER TRAINING IN METHODS AND TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING RELUCTANT READERS; (2) PROVIDED TEACHERS WITH A SYSTEMATIC MEANS OF ASSESSING STUDENT PERFORMANCE; (3) PROVIDED FREE PAPERBACK BOOKS TO PARTICIPATING PROGRAMS; (4) ASSISTED A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS OF HIGHER EDUCATION WITH DEVELOPING PROGRAMS FOR TEACHERS PREPARING TO WORK IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE FIELD; (5) DEVELOPED A SERIES OF PUBLICATIONS FOR NATIONWIDE DISTRIBUTION; AND (6) DEVELOPED A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT TO SHOW THAT THEATER AND THE ARTS CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN MOTIVATING TROUBLED YOUTH TO LEARN NECESSARY SKILLS. IT IS CONCLUDED ON THE BASIS OF THESE DATA THAT YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, WHILE POSSESSING THE ABILITY TO READ, WILL NOT READ UNTIL THEY ARE PROVIDED HIGHLY MOTIVATING BOOKS OR UNTIL THEY ARE TAUGHT THROUGH MOTIVATIONAL TECHNIQUES. FURTHERMORE, THEY REQUIRE SUFFICIENT TIME DURING THE SCHOOL DAY TO PRACTICE READING FROM SELF-SELECTED MATERIAL. TABLES AND PHOTOGRAPHS ARE INCLUDED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN DATA FORMS, QUESTIONNAIRES, EVALUATION INFORMATION, AND AN ANNOTATED LIST OF 50 POPULAR BOOKS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--PRG)