Shi Excels in School Reading

Shi Excels in School Reading

By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala. — Fort Payne City Schools is producing many overachievers and big readers, but none has accomplished what 8th grader Sophia Shi has done since last semester.

According to Shi's Honors English teacher Jeannie Woods, Shi has read 71 books and 7,458,843 words in this school year, and it's only January. This outstanding achievement has earned Shi over 1,100 Accelerated Reader points this year.

"Sophia's relentless passion for reading is an inspiration for us to be relentlessly passionate about our goals as individuals and a community," said Dan Groghan, Assistant Principal of Fort Payne Middle School.

Sophia is the daughter of Pansy Cheng and Kevin Shi.

According to healthline.com, the benefits of reading books frequently can positively affect your life in many ways. 

The studies show that reading benefits you by strengthening your brain, building a stronger vocabulary, reducing stress, and increasing empathy. 

American author Annie Dillard once said, "She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live."

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