Pacific Christian Elementary gives a special surprise to kids who read over a million words after COVID-19 caused their trip to get canceled

ORCUTT, Calif. - A group of Pacific Christian elementary school students did a reading challenge with the goal to read over a million words or more.The winners were promised a field trip and lunch with the librarian.

COVID-19 put a stop to those plans, so a group of teachers and the school librarian found a way to still give the hard-working students a reward.

They packed up their cars with huge signs, balloons and gift bags and went around town knocking on the doors of the voracious readers.

The top readers read more the two million words while the other winners read more than a million. The reading was all extracurricular so the students did it on their own time.

One two-million-word reader said that reading has helped her keep her mind off the stay at home order.

“If I am sad or disappointed or I need something to think about, I go open a book and it takes me to another world,” said graduating 5th grader Lynae Redmon.

Another top reader Austin Tognazzini read over two million words by March. He said the surprise meant a lot.

“I like reading because the books are full of adventures,” said Pacific Christian 3rd grader Austin Tognazzini.

Pacific Christian 4th Grade teacher Lacey Redmon told us that reading is the best way to open up education possibilities to a child.

“If we can foster reading, it opens the world to so many possibilities,” said Redmon.