Thornton Academy Middle School students recently read to fourth and fifth grade students in Saco. Among those middle school students were Madelynn Dube, Emma Eukitis, and Quinn Purvis. Courtesy photo

SACO — Thirty-one students from Thornton Academy Middle School spent part of their morning on March 2 reading stories to third, fourth, and fifth graders at C.K. Burns elementary school in Saco. The students were participating in National Read Across America Day, an event created by the National Education Association to help kids get excited about reading.

“I think the kids really enjoyed it — they had fun,” said Emma Eukitis, an eighth grader, who read “One Green Apple” to the class. An avid reader, Eukitis’ favorite book is “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“It was great, it was really fun,” said Quinn Purvis, a seventh grader. He recalled when older students visited his elementary school class. “It was really cool having an older kid read to us and take time out of their day.” Purvis read “Fly Away Home” to the class. He enjoys the “spy school” series of books.

Madelynn Dube, an eighth grader at Thornton Academy Middle School, read the book, “Red and Lulu.” She said she also found the experience fun and rewarding. “The kids were great and a lot of them seemed really interested in what I had to say,” Dube said.“ The “Percy Jackson” books are among her favorite reads.