LINDON — The cafeteria has the familiar smells of hamburgers and applesauce and the familiar sounds of children's chatter.

But over the noise is the voice of the principal, Jason Theler, who is sitting on a stool and leaning over a microphone with a book in his hand.

On this Wednesday, as with most Wednesdays, the principal reads to the lunching students. A couple dozen listen intently.

"Who liked that book," Theler asks of the 120 first-, second- and third-graders as he finishes the book.

Hands fly up.

"I love this book," Theler responds. "Well, have a good lunch and see you next week."

Theler, 35, is beginning his third year as principal of Lindon Elementary. Over the summer, the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals named him the Rookie of the Year. Rookies are principals in their first three years.

"He's a real fun principal," said Michael Hardman, a fourth-grader at Lindon Elementary, recalling a time when students gelled and styled Theler's hair.

After Theler finishes reading, the students want recess. Theler negotiates with some to clean their plates before they can go outside, encouraging one student, for instance, to finish her applesauce and take one more bite of her hamburger.

The way Theler sees it, a principal has three main responsibilities: to keep the school safe, to provide teachers with support and tools to succeed and to act as the school's fiscal manager.

"The theme I have as principal is the school's role model," he said. "Our role model is, 'Work hard, learn well and play often."'

From the cafeteria, Theler heads back to his office and finds three first-graders are waiting.

At the beginning of each year, Theler reads the first half of a book to the first-grade students. The students each get a copy of the book, which this year is Jennifer E. Morris' "May I Please Have a Cookie," and get candy if they read the second half to him by the end of the year.

"I can tell you've been practicing because you begin reading before you even turn the page," Theler says to one first-grader.

Each of the first-graders successfully reads the entire book, and each receives a roll of Smarties.

The nomination for Rookie Principal of the Year noted the school's emphasis on literacy and a literacy award the school recently received.

Theler — who taught for six years and was an assistant principal for three years before his job at Lindon Elementary — wants his students to be good readers because future academic success depends on it.

"In junior high, if they struggle in literacy, they struggle in other subjects," Theler said.