By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Pete the Cat, Spiderman, Batman, several Elsas and even a few Transformers paraded down the hallways of Meadow View Elementary School on Oct. 30 as the school celebrated a week of reading.

During the week leading up to the MVES character parade, students at the school selected a book and studied characters in the book before donning the costume of their favorite character and joining their classmates in the celebration.

The first- and second-graders’ costumes varied greatly from princesses and superheroes to Minecraft characters and Little Red Riding Hood as they drew applause from their classmates while parading down the school hallways.

MVES second-grade teacher Jenny Thrasher has worked with first-grade teacher Rachael Gardner to organize the book character parade for the past two years, and said the event helps to keep students excited about reading.

“We’ve been focusing on books all week, and this is their celebration. They got to choose their character and book, and they’ve been so excited about it,” Thrasher said during an interview after the parade.

Leading off the first- and second-grade parades were groups of costumed Thompson High School peer helpers who regularly volunteer to help students at MVES.

While the first- and second-graders were taking part in the parade, the school’s third-graders displayed decorated pumpkins they made as part of a book report project earlier in the week. The school’s kindergarteners participated in a fall fest throughout the day, meaning all MVES students had an opportunity to celebrate the end of literacy week.

“We wanted to get everyone at the school involved today,” Thrasher said.

MVES Principal Rachea Simms said the parades were a perfect way to start the day of celebration.

“It only takes 15 minutes, but it’s something the students will remember,” Simms said.