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Rent-a-Reader, at your SERVICE by Andrea Johnson (This story appeared in the Minot Daily News.)  Ten-year-old Breken Lach is a "Rent a Reader."The Edison Elementary School fifth-grader will read to individuals or groups in return for a donation to a state organization for fighting cystic fibrosis. "I actually read to my cousin's dog," said Breken. "He actually listened to me." The dog seemed to really like a book about a run-away balloon, said Breken, who also read to her cousins and her brother. Breken's Rent-A-Reader business started as a Marketplace for Kids project. Each kid in her class was asked to come up with a business model and marketing plan for the event last month. But Breken has decided to take her business further and continue seeking customers. Her motivation is a personal one. She knows Makenna Sartwell, a second-grader with cystic fibrosis, and knows that the extra equipment and medications she needs to fighter her genetic disease can be expensive. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Web site, cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. A defective gene causes the body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky mucus that closes the longs and leads to life-threatening infections. The disease wreaks havoc on the respiratory and digestive systems and children must take medication and have daily treatments to prevent mucus from building in their lungs and making it hard to breathe. Some children use special vests that loosen the mucus in their lungs. All of the treatments that people such as Makenna need can cost a lot of money, Breken knows. "I've raised $25 so far," Breken said, "So I'm pretty excited."  Breken earned $5 on April 26 when she read to children attending the Diagnostic Remediation Center, an after-school tutoring program at Minot State University.The second-through-fiifth graders seemed to enjoy books such as the tall tale "Swamp Angel," by Anne Isaacs and the whimsical "Click, Clack, Cows That Type," by Dorreen Cronin. Breken has also read to children in a day care and to her younger cousins. She also loves reading in her spare time. She especially enjoyed "Series of Unfortunate Events" books by Lemony Snicket. Breken said she hopes more people will rent her time so she can donate more money toward fighting cystic fibrosis. She has her own chauffeur. "Her mom will deliver her," said her mother, Dana Lach. To schedule a reading session, call the Lach family at 839-2698. |