Monster truck fans take the checkered flag

PPL readers mark reading contest win

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Checkered flags, photos of a monster truck and shirts were handed to Becky McDonough, the driver of El Toro Loco, as Peninsula Public Library district readers ages 4 to 12 celebrated winning the countywide Monster Jam reading for the second consecutive year.

The grand prize of having a monster truck visit the library was cancelled due to the extreme cold weather on Jan. 24, but the children who represent schools in the Lawrence School District as well as private schools in the library district got a “meet and greet” with McDonough, a Minnesota native who has been on the monster truck circuit for seven years and a driver for three.

Number Five School fourth-grader Daniella Andrarde read 30 of the nearly 3,000 books 296 PPL readers read to win the contest that included 28 libraries and 1,796 children throughout Nassau.

Andrade was happy to meet McDonough. It emphasized a conversation she had with her mother. “She said girls can do anything,” Daniella said. Asked why she read so many books, she said, “To make our school win.” Her sister Isabella won a raffle drawing of four tickets to the monster truck show at the Nassau Coliseum on Jan. 25.

Cory Vine, a second-grader at the Number Five School, read 20 books, including a few of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books. It was the second year he took part in the contest. “I like the prizes, like the checkered flag and a ticket to the show,” he said.

Sarah Yastrab, library board vice president, was impressed with the amount of books the kids read. “I just want to congratulate all the children who read so many books to win the contest,” she said.