A Utah Jazz basketball player keeps his eyes on the ball -- but his nose in a book, according to the players' wives.
"John is on a lot of road trips, and he reads constantly," Nada Stockton told third-graders at Lincoln Elementary School Tuesday.Stacy Hornacek guessed her husband, Jeff, had devoured at least 10 books already this season. "All the Utah Jazz players are good readers, and they like to share books with each other," she said.
Stockton, Hornacek and Bryon Russell's wife, Kim, joined wives of other Jazz staff to promote Utah Jazz bookmarks, a reading-incentive program sponsored by their organization, The Rest of the Jazz and the Deseret News.
The bookmarks, which look a little bit like trading cards, have a photo, biographical information and a message about reading from each Jazz player.
"Most of these kids could use lots of incentives," said Lori Briggs Cook, a reading specialist at Lincoln. "They don't get a lot from their parents at home."
Last February at the International Reading Association conference at the Salt Palace, Cook won a drawing for a free set of the bookmarks and a visit from the Jazz wives and the Jazz Bear for her students.
The president of Rest of the Jazz, LeeAnn Francis, says 9,000 sets of the bookmarks have been distributed to teachers throughout the state.
"Most schools ask their students to earn them by reading for a certain length of time each night or for reading a certain number of books," she said.
After sharing some of their favorite book titles, students asked the women how often they read to their own children.
"I have a little 4-year-old, and I read to her every night before she goes to bed," said Russell.
"Our kids read 20-30 minutes every day on their own and then get 15 or 20 minutes out of a chapter book at night," said Hornacek.
Here are the Jazz wives' title recommendations:
Nada Stockton -- "Class Clown," "Cal Ripkin Jr."
Stacy Hornacek -- "Old Yeller," "Onion John."
Kim Russell -- "Ramona the Brave," "The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost."
Paula Allred, wife of Dave Allred, Jazz vice president for public relations -- "Eleven Kids and One Summer," "Encounter at Easton."
Ann Johnson, wife of assistant coach Phil Johnson -- "Sacajawea," "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."
Bear -- "Mr. Popper's Penguins," "Chocolate Covered Ants," "Mouse on a Motorcycle."
Copies of the books were donated to Lincoln Elementary.
You can reach Maria Titze by e-mail at mtitze@desnews.com