Rapper Common is encouraging teenagers to read - by promoting a book club for American kids. The Chicago-born star - real name Lonnie Rashid Lynn - is using his Common Ground Foundation to promote The Corner, an online group which aims to encourage teens to discuss literature.

It will also feature monthly interviews with celebrity artists who will reveal their favorite books and why reading is so important to them, reports AllHipHop.com.

The Grammy award winner, who stars alongside Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman in upcoming movie Wanted, has a side project writing children's books and is currently the face of the American Library Association (ALA) READ Campaign.

He says, "I started the Common Ground Foundation because I wanted to help. Most of all help people to help themselves."

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)