Reading for the Record with Area Students

JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, will join children and adults across Missouri and the nation to participate in Jumpstart's Read for the Record day, on Oct. 22. This event is the world's largest shared reading experience. Last year, 2.3 million people took part in the annual event.

This year’s book is "Not Norman: A Goldfish Story," by Kelly Bennett and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones. “I am pleased to be able to read it to students in Caldwell and Lafayette Counties,” Sen. Pearce said. “The goal is to promote public support for high-quality early learning and highlight the importance of building our children's vocabulary and love for reading, and to break the world record (again) for the most people reading the same book on the same day.”

"Not Norman: A Goldfish Story" is a humorous tale about a child who finds a friend in an unexpected place. Senator Pearce has participated in the reading event for the last three years.

“Early childhood education -- as well as elementary, secondary and higher education -- continue to be a major focus of mine and I am certainly proud of the work the General Assembly accomplishes for education in Missouri. As chair of the Senate Education Committee, I look forward to carrying on this tradition,” Sen. Pearce said. “Books are a great way to teach children how to handle new experiences and stressful situations. Stories can help children understand, talk about and deal with everything from starting a new school to the loss of a pet.”

Senator Pearce will read to students at Braymer C-4 Elementary, in Braymer, and Santa Fe R-X Elementary, in Waverly.