7th-graders record books for shelter, hospital

Seventh-graders at Elk Ridge Middle School in South Jordan learned a lesson in reading and giving.

The students are recording themselves reading their favorite children's books onto a CD. The kids will donate the homemade CDs for kids to use at The Road Home shelter and Primary Children's Medical Center, both in Salt Lake City.

"It just makes me feel good that we can do this for the kids. It's been fun recording our reading," said Jacob Miller, 13, a seventh-grader at Elk Ridge. He read his favorite children's book "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" by Dr. Seuss.

The Elk Ridge students even recorded a "ding" using a triangle instrument for when the listener is to turn the page.

"The students have improved in their reading skills while learning about community service," said seventh-grade teacher Brenda Jeppson.

Parent volunteers visited the school to help with the project and even donated some of the books.

Marie Hendriksen, gift-in-kind coordinator at Primary Children's, said the CDs will be given to children in the pediatric intensive care unit. The CDs help distract bored patients from their troubles, she said.

"It really helps patients and their families to know someone out there in the community cares about them," she said.

Ashley Farmer, volunteer coordinator at The Road Home, said the CDs will be distributed to the approximately 70 children at the shelter who participate in the weekly literature night called The Kids Book Club.

"We're so grateful," Farmer said. "The Elk Ridge students are showing they can really make a difference."

E-mail: astewart@desnews.com