This dissertation study investigated the comparability of reading comprehension of narrative and persuasive text by applying a convergent parallel mixed method design. Participants were middle school students (Grades 6 - 8, N=6). The purpose of the study was to address a gap in reading comprehension research about how students comprehend narrative versus persuasive text and how they perceive persuasive text in particular. Think-aloud protocols were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively, and semi-structured interviews provided complementary qualitative data on participant perceptions of persuasive text in order to bring greater insight into this research question than would have been obtained by either type of data separately. The study found evidence for both local and global inference generation for both narrative and persuasive texts. Two of the six participants were able to verbalize a difference between the narrative and persuasive text they read. Responses to ratings of the persuasive text suggested an emergent view of persuasive text as evidenced by the spread of agreement and disagreement with some ratings of features of persuasive text. Surprisingly, all participants expressed interest in and engaged with the content of the persuasive readings. Qualitative analysis of the verbal protocol data indicated that the majority of participants' verbalizations centered around the concepts of decision-making and evaluation, key components of desirable critical thinking skills. Implications for pedagogical practice included recommendations for increasing the exposure of middle grade students to reading and discussing persuasive texts and for recognizing the value of think-aloud strategies to assess reading comprehension, particularly critical thinking skills. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]