The SAAB Toledo Book Club was established by Dr. Bledsoe to promote "Readership" amongst our young males of color based on evidence of many studies that suggest this population struggles in the area of reading. Research has also shown that reading as a teen leads to success. When teens read more than just their classroom assignments, the literature clearly shows that they generally do much better academically and expand their vocabularies. It also shows them how different writers express their thoughts, which then leads to better writing skills. Studies show that teens who read more serious literary works gain skills in handling complex ideas.

The more teens read, the more information they pick up. Another big dividend of promoting reading as a teen is a good score on the verbal section of a college admissions test. No other activity builds the vocabulary and comprehension skills needed to do well on these tests as much as reading.

Besides helping our students do well in school, we also strive to help them expand their horizons as they learn more about people and the world. Enhance reading skills show them that everyone has problems in his or her life and reading can even help them see solutions to their own problems. We think the book club will be enjoyable and will bring a great deal of pleasure to the students who are involved.