Provost Virginia Hinshaw reads The Brand New Kid to second- and third-graders at Birch Lane Elementary School last month as part of the sixth annual Ready, Set, Read Day. Debbi Gilad of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research organized the event for the second year. The day's purpose was to bring outside adults to the school to read books to children and "let the kids know why reading is important," Gilad said. "Provost Hinshaw represents the academic institution in Davis. For someone of her stature to come in and read sends a message to the children." Thirteen UC Davis student-athletes also attended. Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, women's basketball coach Sandy Simpson and Davis city administrators have been among those to read in past years.