BATON ROUGE — About 350 middle school students at Scotlandville Pre-Engineering Magnet Academy went home with a free book on Thursday as part of the fourth annual "Drop Everything and Read" event.

Principal Stacy Bradford said healthy reading habits are the foundation of a good education and that reading is the most important skill for education.

"Once you know how to read, you can do a lot," said Bradford. "If you don't know how to read, it's going to be a constant struggle for years to come. That's the most important skill when it comes to education. We strive every day to push our kids to the best of their ability. Our kids read a motto every day, it says, 'I am a child who is loved, smart and worthy.' They can do anything they put their minds to."

The school said another goal of the event is to encourage kids to read during the summer.