Understanding children's motivations to read and preferred materials is key to fostering reading skills and promoting a national reading culture. This study, conducted a decade after the launch of the "Soma Rwanda" (Rwanda Read) national reading initiative, explores children's access to books at home, their reading preferences, and the motivations driving their reading engagement. Data include focus groups with 50 students (Grades 1-6) and 49 parents from seven primary schools in urban, semi-urban, and rural communities. The analysis prioritizes children's perspectives, with parent data providing context on home environments where children's reading experiences unfold. Findings reveal that despite limited home libraries beyond textbooks, children develop and maintain diverse reading interests, from science to biographies to fiction. Their motivations extend beyond academics to include career exploration, cultural identity, and emotional comfort. Initiatives like "Soma Rwanda" may have helped foster reading interests and resilience among Rwanda's young readers, while high costs, poor-quality materials, and limited library availability pose persistent access barriers. The findings suggest that more targeted interventions are necessary to improve access to diverse, child-preferred books.