Memphis, Tenn. – Students from Shelby County Schools will join children and adults across the country on Thursday, October 3 to celebrate Read for the Record. Students will join their peers nationwide to set two new reading records - for the largest shared reading experience, and for the first time this year, the largest digital reading experience.

In support of the record-breaking goals, SCS district officials, community leaders and parents will strive to read to more than 12,000 pre-k through first grade students throughout the school day. This year’s focus book is Otis by Loren Long and, it is available to read online at www.wegivebooks.org/books/otis/reader.

Read for the Record is a part of a nationwide early education awareness campaign that focuses on the importance of reading. Launched in 2006, this initiative has served more than nine million students nationwide and provided more than 1.2 million books to students in low-income neighborhoods. The program strives to ensure that every child in America enters school prepared to succeed.

Members of the media are invited to this year’s celebration site: 

Lowrance Elementary School

7740 Lowrance Rd.

Memphis, TN 38125 

The Read for the Record program is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Superintendent Dorsey Hopson, Mayor Mark Luttrell, SCBE Board Members, district officials and community leaders have been invited to participate in this special event.