BETHEL -- A seventh-grader in the remote Southwestern Alaska village of Goodnews Bay read books this past school year that, all told, contained more than 2 million words -- an accomplishment that contributed to his winning a national literacy award from an educational publisher.
Alexie Evan, 13, is a quiet boy who says he just finds reading fun. He read 46 books this school year, including "The Hunger Games" series, numerous C.S. Lewis books and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."
As a young child, he suffered hearing loss that set him back in learning to speak, said Sherri Carmichael, his teacher at Rocky Mountain School. At age 3 he got needed surgery but still had to catch up. Just two years ago, he still was behind in school, she said.
Now Alexie is caught up. In fact, he's skipping eighth grade and going right to high school next year, said Carmichael, who this year taught grades five through nine in the school of about 50 students. Alexie also is participating in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
He was recognized this month with one of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Read 180 awards for students who have turned themselves around. The award goes to students whose teachers use the publishing house's program for reading. Nationwide, 15 students received the award. He will get $1,000, and the Lower Kuskokwim School District will receive $1,000 worth of materials from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the publisher said.
Carmichael said Alexie has gained confidence in all subjects from reading so much. He always has a book in hand, she said.
"He doesn't read just little skinny books," Carmichael said. "He read 'Great Expectations' and that was a big book."
The competition measured progress in words as well as the difficulty level of books, she said.
What is he reading now? Alexie said it's "The Magician's Nephew," another book by C.S. Lewis. But soon, he'll be ready to open another one.