NATCHEZ — “Reading makes your brain grow stronger and helps you get smarter,” said Chyna Warner, a second grader at Vidalia Lower Elementary School, which is why she loves doing it so much.

Warner, the daughter of Daphane Warner and Dennis Hunt, was recently showered with medals and trophies for her outstanding performance in Accelerated Reading during the 2018-2019 school year after having read 286 books and testing on them with 95.2 percent accuracy, said her library teacher, Susan Mingee.

Warner not only earned the distinction for being the Top Reader at her school but racked up 142.5 points in Accelerated Reading, which set a new record for most points ever earned in at least eight years, Mingee said.

“She told me to let her know if anyone started coming close to breaking her record so she could come back and read some more,” Mingee said. “I told her it doesn’t work like that. It’s not just her teacher (Joanna Bernard) who pushes her to be the best. She encourages all of her students to read just the same, but Chyna pushes herself even further.”

Warner said reading is something she has enjoyed doing since she first learned how, second only to solving math facts, she said.

At home, Warner said she learned new words while being read to by her grandmother, Linda Warner, and her older sister, Carmen.

“I like Junie B. Jones the most,” Warner said, “because she is really funny.”

Mingee said Warner also reads and tests on books that are well above her grade level, starting at third grade and beyond.

Warner said she also enjoys drawing and playing with her puppy, Gottie Bug. When she grows up, Warner said she would like to become a teacher once she has learned enough in school to help other students learn, too, she said.