Rockland Elementary School students read to break record

Rockland Elementary School third-graders Molene Brody and Jeremy Simon laughed as they placed gummy worms and crushed Oreos on cakes they decorated after reading "Bunny Cakes" on Tuesday.

Danya Sundh's Elementary Instructional Program class read the book in an attempt to break the world record for the largest number of people reading the same book on the same day, and as a way to promote literacy.

"I've been doing it for seven years when I found out about it in college. Then, I brought it to Rockland and started encouraging kids to get involved with literacy-based activities," Sundh explained after reading the story with the children. "They love it. They look forward to it every year."

The Libertyville students participated in Jumpstart's 2014 Read for the Record and decorated cakes as part of the activities related to the story.

"Bunny Cakes" by Rosemary Wells is a story about the special sibling bond and rivalry between Max and his sister, Ruby, as they make a birthday cake for their grandma.

"It was just a little funny how Max wanted make the mud cake for his grandma," fifth-grader Albina Giza said as she licked icing from the cake she created.

"I was really excited and I couldn't wait to make my cake."

More than 2.4 million kids read "Otis" as part of Jumpstart's Read for the Record campaign last year, according to the organization's website.