• Encouraging young people to read, and read often is one of the programs South Dakota's First Lady, Linda Daugaard has a passion for. The First Lady was recently in Groton to promote the importance of reading to the third, fourth and fifth grade classes.
• She has been visiting classrooms across the state as a way to keep students interested in reading, and encourages them to continue reading during their free time and in the summer. One of the ways she encourages students to keep reading is by collecting gently used chapter books and passes them along to the next school she visits.

• "Third, fourth, and fifth grade is around the time that many students lose interest in reading," Daugaard said. "It is important to spread enthusiasm about reading at this crucial point in a child's development."

• Char Telkamp