COURTESY OF DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cheryl Haban, an eighth-grader at Lanai High and
Elementary School, shown here last August with
state library official Lynn Masumoto, won
Hawaii Pizza Hut's reading contest.

Reading is a big payoff
for this Lanai student

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Star-Bulletin staff

Fourteen-year-old Cheryl Haban turned her love of reading into a trip for two to Honolulu and a $1,000 shopping spree at Pearlridge Center.

The eighth-grader at Lanai High and Elementary School was the grand prize winner of the 2001 Hawaii Pizza Hut and Hawaii State Public Library System Young Adult Summer Reading Shopping Spree Sweepstakes. Her name was drawn from 50 entries submitted by Hawaii's 50 public libraries.

In five weeks Haban read 25 books with this rule: "Read one book an hour and then start with the other one," she said.

Her choice of books was the young adult series Sweet Valley High by creator Francine Pascal. "I enjoy it because you can learn something from the books," said Haban.

In August Haban received airfare for two to Oahu and transportation via limousine in addition to the shopping spree.

How did she spend her $1,000? "I got a lot of clothes and shoes," she said.

In addition, Castle High School sophomore Karl Kawakami and McKinley High School freshman Douglas Lautalo were named as the second and third place winners, respectively. Kawakami won a $500 shopping spree at Pearlridge Center. Lautalo received a $250 shopping spree at the shopping center.