Read Across America continues at Manteca Unified School District today with book character and dress-up parades planned at Brock Elliott, Lathrop and August Knodt elementary schools.

This is all part of the series of events consisting of themed days, spirited breakfast to kick-off the mornings, and camaraderie.

The morning festivities at Brock Elliott and Lathrop Elementary will kick-off at 8:30, and 10:30 at August Knodt.

Read Across America was launched in 1998 by the National Education Association to encourage children to read, and was initially held on March 2 to honor the birthday of Dr. Seuss, the children’s book author – Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, Green Eggs & Ham, to name a few – who was born Theodor Geisel.

In recent years, NEA pivoted from that to more diverse children’s books.

On Wednesday, Superintendent Clark Burke, Coordinator of Equity and Access Jacalyn Davis, Director of Innovation and Improvement Lisa Goodwin, retired teachers and staff along with local police and firefighters were among the guest readers.

Firefighters, in reading to audience of kindergartner students at McParland Elementary School, asked: “What do you do when you see a firetruck?”

“Wave,” the young crowd said, in response.

Principal Melanie Smith, Davis and Goodwin also read that day to students at McParland and the Annex.

Burke was the special guest at Great Valley Elementary School, reading the book “Dear Teacher” to second, third and fourth graders.

Read Across America, in addition, will feature a Monday morning event at Veritas Elementary School.

From 9 to 11, TK-3 students will meet in the multi-purpose building, wearing their favorite space gear for “Over the Moon About Reading.”