A local third grader took first place in the Kinnaird Elementary School read-a-thon after reading for 4,979 minutes — or 82.98 hours — in two weeks.
Lux Parker is nine years old and had the most reading minutes for the second year in a row.
Lux's mother, Anna Parker, guessed that her favourite authors are Shannon Messenger, author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, and Rick Riordan, author of the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles series and The Trials of Apollo series. But when asked which were her favourite, Lux answered, "All of them."
A number of Riordan's books appeared on Lux's reading list for the read-a-thon. She also read books from Tui T. Sutherland's Wings of Fire series and a book called Buddha at Bedtime, by Dharmachari Nagaraja.
Anna says Lux has always loved reading.
"She started reading novels independently in kindergarten."
By grade two, Lux had finished the entire Harry Potter series.
The read-a-thon was a fundraiser for the Kinnaird Elementary Parent Advisory Council's Outdoor Learning Centre.
Luckily for the people who pledged for Lux, the pledges were not per minute, but Lux still raised $100 through her efforts.
Having won the top prize of a new tablet last year, Lux declined the prize this year, telling her principal that "reading was the prize."
Nonetheless, Anne explains, her principal decided to give her the second place prize instead, a gift certificate for bowling. The tablet went to the student with the second most reading minutes.
Lux is currently reading the Time Quintet series by Madeleine L'Engle and the Supernatural Investigations series by B.B. Alston.