GrethelOur first Star of the Month of 2026 is Grethel, a 5th grader at Estrella Mountain Elementary in Goodyear, AZ, who is "flying" through Read Live stories and has moved up three levels since August. Here is what Grethel's teacher, Ms. Johnson, wrote about her:

"Grethel came to our school this year in 5th grade and was not a confident reader. Her experience at her previous school left her feeling like she just needed to try harder to learn, despite English being her second language. She began working in our Read Live program and has been "flying" through stories. She is very motivated to learn and has moved up 3 reading levels in Read Live since August! She is becoming confident in her reading abilities and is participating in her 5th grade classroom every day. Grethel is determined to achieve her goal of reading at 5th grade level, and we are certain that she will make it! I nominate Grethel as our Read Live Student of the Month because she never gives up and is determined to reach her reading goals!"

In addition to the inspiring words from Grethel's teacher, Grethel's mom shared the following after learning that Grethel won this award:

"When she came home with the news, she told me she couldn't believe it, that she thought she was dreaming... She said, 'Mom, imagine if I achieved something I thought I could never do in my life, how many more things can I achieve in the future?' These were her exact words, and truly, beyond the academic progress, what you have given her goes far beyond academics... believe me when I say that what the entire team and the program have done for our daughter is something we can never repay... as parents, are hearts are overflowing with gratitude."

Stories like this are why Read Naturally exists and why we genuinely love the work we do. People like Grethel, her teachers, and her parents inspire us every day.

Do you have a student like Grethel? Nominating them to be a Read Naturally Star of the Month only takes a few minutes! Just share why they deserve special recognition for their hard work. 

Winners receive:

  • $50 Barnes & Noble gift card (student)
  • $50 Amazon gift card (teacher)
  • $200 Read Naturally gift card (school)