Allyson Doran is the Top Reader of 2021 at Perryville Elementary School – and she’s encouraging other students to visit the library to lose themselves in a good book.
Librarian Susan Schremp made the announcement and noted that Allyson has joined the Top Three Readers in PES history by earning 827 Accelerated Reading points in a single school year.
She joins Bair Hopkins, who amassed 905.2 AR points in 2017, and Simon Wibbenmeyer, who earned 792 points in 2016.
Allyson is the daughter of Christopher and Valerie Doran. She achieved this feat as a fifth grader in Mrs. Amanda Huber’s class.
She didn’t begin the year with the intention of breaking records. “I just like to read,” she said. “My favorites are Greek and Roman mythology, so I like the Rick Riordan series.”
Mrs. Schremp said, “Allyson read several of Riordian’s series the last school year, including Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, and The Kane Chronicles. She also read the Harry Potter series.
“We award a trophy to students who earn 500 AR points in a single school year, and at one point I mentioned to Allyson that she was very close to earning the trophy. Well, she blew through that goal and just kept going. I’m not at all surprised that she broke records in reading.”
Allyson said that she loves books that “have great characters and tell good stories in interesting settings. My favorite characters are Percy and Annabeth from Percy Jackson, Piper from Heroes of Olympus, Sadie from The Kane Chronicles, and Hermione and Harry Potter.”
She said that her mom, who is a kindergarten teacher at Perryville Primary Center, has always encouraged and inspired her to read.
Mrs. Huber said she’s not surprised that Allyson is breaking records. “Allyson is an amazing reader,” she said. “She is self motivated and determined. Her love of reading is inspirational. It is every teacher's dream to have a student achieve this level of success with reading. Allyson's accomplishment also speaks volumes about the support she has had over the years from her family and teachers to encourage her passion for reading. I am beyond excited to have witnessed Allyson's great success.”
In addition to reading, Allyson takes dance lessons, is on the swim team and loves to crochet. She plans to attend medical school to become a pediatrician.