This article reports on case study research of seven- and eight-year-old children's discourse about reading. The case studies were selected to provide classrooms in contrasting neighbourhoods within a white "working class" town in the North of England. Mixed methods were employed, but primarily the case studies were ethnographic in character. A sociocultural perspective is taken, drawing on Gee's (1999) definition of discourse and cultural models. Two main differently gendered discourses about reading were encountered. The one discourse, dominant in the "working class" classroom, was strongly gendered and afforded reading low status. The other discourse encountered in the "middle class" classroom was gender-inclusive and reading carried high status. It is argued that the interaction between social class and gender is important in understanding children's discourse about reading. The idea of a classroom meta-discourse is introduced. It is argued that, when classroom meta-discourse about reading is intense and in opposition to the values and expectations of preferred school pedagogic practices, under some conditions children's classroom meta-discourse can influence classroom processes and practices. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)