Read around the clock

Andrew Chambers, left in photo at right, Shareen Smith and Hannah Bradway make themselves at home Saturday at Deseret Book in the ZCMI Center in downtown Salt Lake City during the 12th annual Utah State Read-A-Thon. Bryce Galloway, left, was also one of the students chosen to participate in the event. Some 2,000 fourth- and fifth-graders throughout Utah were selected based on essays they wrote on why literacy is important. Each winning student received a free book, bookmark, poster, a 25 percent discount certificate from Deseret Book and a discount passport from Lagoon. The Read-A-Thon, part of School Library Media Month, was sponsored by the Children's Literature Association of Utah and the Utah State Office of Education in conjunction with Deseret Book, the Deseret News and KSL Television and Radio.