NATCHEZ &045;&045; Seven Natchez-Adams School District students have a shot at winning a regional reading fair award.

The students recently placed first in their district fair with storyboards they composed based on a fictional book of their choice. Entries had to be on a tri-fold board and contain 10 story elements including plot summary, setting and author’s purpose.

&uot;It gives them the opportunity to portray written texts and teaches them to express themselves through books,&uot; said Rosena Profice, district reading fair coordinator.

Natchez High School 11th grader Ellenora McGehee, 16, was one of the seven first-place winners. McGehee participated in the reading fair when she was in the eighth grade and is also a frequent participant in science fairs.

&uot;I’ve enjoyed doing these projects,&uot; she said.

&uot;It’s meticulous work, and I like that. Of course, winning is good. You have to not be snobby about it.&uot;

McGehee, a student in Stacie Oliver’s class, said her plot summary for the book &uot;The Mayor of Casterbridge&uot; was three pages long because the book’s solution was complex.

&uot;In the end it was saying that no matter how hard you try, life still has its un-expectancies,&uot; McGehee said.

Projects were first judged within the schools. Then winners were sent to the district fair where they were judged by three district judges. Students in grades Kindergarten-12 competed in either the individual, group or family category.

Judges looked for clarity of writing, creativity, quality of project and thoroughness of written information, Profice said.

First-place winners received a trophy while second- and third-place winners got ribbons.

The regional reading fair will be in Jackson in March.

Other first place winners included Ben Farmer from McLaurin Elementary School, Kalethia Gines from Morgantown Elementary School, Amos James from McLaurin Elementary, Keenen McCallister from Central School, Tristan Rice from McLaurin Elementary and Hunter Walsworth from Lewis Middle School.

Projects are on display at Natchez Mall. First- and second-place winners are in the former Bath and Body Works windows.