Holy Family Student Devours Books
By Kurt Backscheider kbackscheider@communitypress.com

Holden Kelley said most people probably think he spends all his free time reading books.

He wants to set the record straight - he doesn't.

The seventh-grader at Holy Family School also keeps busy with baseball, soccer, a Price Hill Press paper route and homework, and he also plans to get involved in football and wrestling in the next couple of years.

"I read at school and in the evenings when I have time," he said.

"I'm able to read very fast."

He's not kidding. Kelley achieved the 2,000-point mark in the Accelerated Reader Program at Holy Family. He was the first student at the school to reach 1,000 points when he was a fifth-grader, and now he's also the first to hit 2,000.

His older brother, Cameron, who is now at Elder High School, reached 1,000 points shortly after Holden did, and his younger brother, Duncan, a fifth-grader, is closing in on 1,000 points as well.

"We've all had a pretty good chuckle that it took Holden from kindergarten to fifth-grade to get the first 1,000 and now it's taken him less than two years to get the second 1,000," said his father, Deron.

"He usually has his nose in three or four books at one time."

Holden said that to earn points in the Accelerated Reader Program students read books assigned certain point levels. The more advanced the book the more points it is worth.

When students finish reading the book they take a quiz on the computer testing their comprehension of the material, he said. If they score 100 percent on the quiz they earn all the points the particular book is worth.

He said his favorite genres include fantasy, science fiction, action, historical fiction and mystery. The Harry Potter books and the novels in the Twilight series are among his all-time favorites.

"I enjoy reading because you get to experience new places, thrilling adventures and I think it's really fun," he said.

As a reward, the seventh-grader will get to be principal for a day sometime toward the end of the school year.

Holden said he plans to make that day an out-of-uniform day for students and make sure no homework is assigned for that evening.

"It feels really good," he said about reaching the 2,000-point club.

"You've accomplished something no one else at school has ever imagined."

Deron Kelley said the program is great, and he's happy his sons have taken full advantage of it.

"I've always been a big reader and my wife, Kim, is a big reader," he said.

"The boys have had books in their hands since they could sit up. It's become a part of their lives, they might as well learn from it."