Alex Perez is a shining star in Ms. Almuete's fifth grade class. He has been a student at Fannin Elementary in Corsicana, Texas, since the first grade and has always been an enthusiastic reader. This year, Alex soared to new reading heights. He has read over 1,400 points worth of books so far this year alone – that's over 200 points a month!

Alex says that he loves to read and he also enjoys taking the Scholastic Reading Counts!^® tests. Alex especially likes studying science and wants to be a heart surgeon when he grows up. He reads all kinds of books, including mystery and science, and has read all of the Harry Potter books.

Alex's family is originally from Mexico. They are mostly Spanish speaking, and a translator assists when his parents come to the school for parent-teacher conferences. His family's support has helped make Alex the top reader in the district. His grades are all in the 90s and up, and he finds time to play football and basketball in addition to all the reading he does.

Talking with Principal Steve Brownlee, you can hear in his voice how proud he is of Alex. He explained that Alex had a perfect score on the very difficult Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exam. Only one other fifth grade student scored as well. Principal Brownlee believes “If students can read well, they'll be successful in everything they do.”

Fannin Elementary uses a reading incentive program based on book points. For every 25 points accumulated, students' achievements are announced in school. Students who read 500 points worth of books win tickets to a Texas Rangers game. But his teachers saw that an extra special reward was needed when Alex breezed passed 500 points and was still going strong. When he reached 1,000 points, he was treated to his favorite breakfast – scrambled eggs, waffles, sausage, and orange juice – cooked up especially for him by Principal Brownlee!

Scholastic Reading Counts! and READ 180^® programs have been so successful at Fannin Elementary that the programs are now being used throughout the district. Carolyne Moore is the district librarian for the Corsicana Independent School District. She tells us, “Alex is a well-rounded student and admired across the district for his accumulation of points. He is an inspiration to all the students.” Alex's wonderful achievements illustrate how students can succeed with Scholastic Reading Counts!