A survey was conducted to examine the reading interests of middle school students. Subjects were sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in a metropolitan, public middle school located in a southeastern state. It was hypothesized that the data would reveal statistically significant categories of reading interest, and would reveal significant differences between categorical interests by gender. A one-dimensional chi square analysis was used to analyze the reading interests for the sample as a whole. A two-dimensional chi square analysis was used to compare the reading interests by gender. The students clearly indicated a strong preference for the categories of Humor and Horror. The students also reported an interest in Mystery, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Science Fiction, and the non-fiction category of Animals. The results of this study showed differences in interest by gender, which are congruent with many of society's stereotypes. The females reported a stronger interest in Romance, Friendship, Animal Stories, Adventure, and Historical Fiction, while the males reported stronger preferences for the categories of Sports and Science. In addition, the results indicated that the male respondents had a stronger preference for non-fiction than did the female respondents. (Author/RS)