We've tracked over 350,000 books read by public school students in the state of Arizona in only one month. You guys knocked our socks off! We are impressed and humbled by the dedication, passion and hard work put forth by the students, teachers and parents to promote literacy and love of reading with the added bonus of the chance to win $15,000.

Click on image for individual school results.

[Drum roll please] The first-stage winners in all three markets with the highest average of books read per K-1 student in Tucson is Carden of Tucson, Weinberg Elementary in Mesa and Mountain School in Flagstaff! [Confetti rains from above, the horns blow and everybody cuts loose]. The party has only just begun because there are two more months to this challenge and you can bet these kids will read over one million books by the end of this party.

Continuing to promote literacy and a love of reading, we kicked off the fifth Bookmans' Reading Challenge on Jan. 17. This contest is Arizona statewide and open to any public or charter school that wants to participate. Schools are competing in this three month challenge to read as many books as possible and the school with the highest amount of books read per student wins $15,000.

Download PDF of Round 1 results for the 2011 Reading Challenge.