George Washington rode into town to read to students at Pike Lake Elementary on Monday. Renee Pederson, a third-grade teacher at the school hosts mystery readers for her students every year. Friends and family members of the students and community members volunteer to dress as a character and read to the class.  The students get hints and try to guess the character prior to reading day. The mystery reader on Monday was the grandfather of a student in the class who arrived on a horse dressed as the first president of the United States.

“The kids think it’s fun to be able to see their families come in and read to them,” said Pederson. “Usually, they choose a book from their families, you know, books that they loved growing up. It’s great for the kids to feel connected from education to home as well.”