BonnerSprings.com

The Edwardsville Elementary School PTO's Read Across America week had a spicy kickoff.

The group organized a taco-feed fundraiser, with meat donated by Taco Bueno at the Legends, with several stations for children and their parents to check out different children's books to kick off the week on March 7. There were also volunteers who read to groups of children, such as a medical assistant who read children a book about taking care of their bodies, Edwardsville Fire Department firefighters who read kids books about fire safety and a cowboy who read aloud about life on the range.

Kathy Dean, a medical assistant, read and spoke to Klayton Coffman and his little sisters, Lacey, who is in kindergarten, and 3-year-old Zoe, about healthy habits, including the importance of a good breakfast.

Klayton said he learned from Dean how to exercise his lungs.

In the gymnasium there were several different reading stations set up, each with a different theme. Next to a large mural featuring The Cat in the Hat, and other Dr. Seuss figures, Breeana Short was engrossed in Seuss' "Sneetches and Other Stories," which her father, Robert read with her.

The birthday of Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, was March 2.

"We have the whole collection," Robert said of the Seuss bibliography.

Breeana said her favorite Dr. Seuss was "Please Try to Remember the First of Octember!"

The event served as a kickoff for the school's read-a-thon, for which school librarian Mary Lou Smith said students were collecting pledges from sponsors for the amount of time they spend reading. The funds raised will go to the PTO.

John Dean, a PTO member who manned the cash box and tickets for the taco dinner, said he was happy with the turnout, and that about $400 was raised.

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