BRIGHTON - Some of the first-graders wore Cat in the Hat hats - paper-plate brims, red-and-white construction paper stovepipes and elastic strips to hold them on.

The kids were oohing and aahing, giggling and chattering when the grammy in the fuzzy red hat showed them pictures from the book she was reading to them.

"We're talking about a dog named Duke who's learning how to dig," said Terri Romano, a Red Hatter from Heritage at Todd Creek.

Romano and six other members of the Red Hat Society - grandma types who wear red hats and purple clothes - had volunteered to read Friday at Brighton's North Elementary School. It was part of National Read Across America Day.

The students got an earful from the glad hatters. And then they got an eyeful. The Cat in the Hat, aka Danny Sanchez, a junior at Brighton Charter School, entered.

The first-graders shouted, "El gato (the cat)!"

They are stronger in - and therefore more confident - speaking Spanish. But they are learning English.

"I do this to help the children, to encourage them to read," Sanchez said later.

"It's all about the kids."

The Red Hatters and Daughters of the American Revolution presented a flag that flew over Mount Vernon - George Washington's home, not the canyon west of Denver.

They also collected more than $300, as well as 150 books, to give to the school, said Red Hatter Nancy Skeels, who is also one of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Skeels read an Amelia Bedelia book to second-graders.

She was practically gushing when she was explaining the character to students.

"She gets confused," Skeels said.

"She's goofy. There's no polite way to say it. She's goofy."

The kids thought the story was pretty cool until Skeels had to quit - lunchtime for the kids.

The whole point of the event was to expose kids to other adults reading, beyond their parents and teachers, Skeels said.

"I liked when the grandmas read to us," said first-grader Karina Venegas, 7.

Skeels finished her reading with this message to her listeners: "Read every day for the rest of your lives."

Some have a good start.

"I read to my brother every single day in our room when we go to sleep," said Cloey Olander, 7. "And after school, I read to him."

Reading is also so important to Tahlia Aguirre that she reads to her baby brother who is "3 or 4 months old."

"I try to put time in my schedule so that I can put more time in my reading," Tahlia said.

First-grader Albino Herrera, 6, liked the story about Duke, the digging dog. He also likes to read on his own.

He said his favorite book is Carlitos y la Fabrica Chocolate, which is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in English.

For the students, being read to in either English or Spanish is sweet.

"I want them to come back and read again," first-grader Diana Luna said.

"I want more stories."

massarog@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5271

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