Winning School Reads 4,000+ Books in Mayor’s Reading Competition
Posted 5/9/2012

For a four-week period in March and April, Gaithersburg third graders in five different schools read 7,883 books as they competed for top prize in the Mayor’s 3rd  Annual Book Club Reading Competition, held in conjunction with the Gaithersburg Book Festival. 

Fields Road Elementary School won top honors, with 85 students reading 4,664 books.  Within Fields Road, Ms. Antoinette Silvera’s class read the most books, 2,001 in all. 

The students in Ms. Silvera’s class selected “Max’s Words” by Kate Banks as the book they will read and discuss later this semester when Mayor Sidney Katz visits with them for a pizza party.  The book is about a boy who collects words and creates a wonderful story.

Mayor Katz will recognize the winning class at the Gaithersburg Book Festival at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, 2012, with each student receiving a gold-star membership card and a certificate.  The presentation takes place on the Concert Pavilion stage.

The top individual reader in the City-wide contest was Logan Snow, who read an impressive 205 books. He is a student in Ms. Elyssa Ram’s class at Fields Road Elementary School.  As part of his recognition, Logan will be invited to ride in the trolley with the Mayor and City Council during the 74th Annual Gaithersburg Labor Day Parade on September 3, 2012.

Participating students from the five area elementary schools that took part in the competition, including Fields Road, Summit Hall, Strawberry Knoll, Washington Grove, and Diamond Elementary Schools, are now members of the Mayor’s Book Club.

About the Gaithersburg Book Festival
The Gaithersburg Book Festival is an annual all-day celebration of books, writers, and literary excellence. Now in its third year, the Festival has become one of the premier literary events in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 19, 2012, on the grounds of Gaithersburg City Hall, with shuttle buses running from Lakeforest Mall.  Activities include author appearances, discussions and book signings; writing workshops; a Children’s Village; a Coffee House with poets and singers/songwriters; onsite book sales, both new and used; exhibitors and, of course, food, drink, ice cream and more. Admission is free. For more information please visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.