Reading is an activity enjoyed by many, and widely held to be an essential component for success in education. This article examines the associations between children’s reading and family background, using data from ‘Growing Up in Australia, The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children’ (LSAC). It discusses measures of reading, frequency and enjoyment of reading by children aged 10-11 years old, family type, maternal education and employment, library visits, parental reading to children, and number of books at home.