Let them speak

Much research has been done in a variety of fields in an attempt to address the battle that many South African children are engaged in to become proficient readers. This article argues that reception analysis, developed in the field of cultural studies, could be usefully applied to children and their reading of fiction, as it offers a particular understanding of media audiences. After a brief examination of some of the challenges facing the South African basic educational system, some of the tenets of cultural studies are described, as well as the main concerns of reception studies. These concerns include pleasures gained from reading a text, the negotiation of power relationships, gender issues, identity formation, and the importance of context. These are all crucial concepts to explore in relation to children's reading. Reception analyses of children's literature are far from plentiful, but they could help to provide educators, writers, publishers and librarians with additional nuanced understandings of the kinds of texts that provide enjoyable reading experiences for South African children in various contexts.