A 12-year-old Morristown student who writes his own books in addition to reading voraciously turned 10 weeks of summer reading into a $1,000 college scholarship.¶
At a ceremony held at the Morristown Public Library, homeschooled sixth grader Wesley Martin was recognized as the 2026 overall winner of the Tristar Reads competition.¶
Tristar Reads
Tristar Reads is a summer reading initiative run by Tennesseans for Student Success, a nonprofit advocating for better academic outcomes for Tennessee public school students. Atmos Energy sponsors and supports Tristar Reads. Martin read 33,134 minutes, more than 552 hours, over the course of the summer break. It challenges students in kindergarten through 12th grade to read for at least 20 minutes per day during summer break. Nationally, students read about 10 minutes a day outside of school on average, and research shows students who do not read during school breaks risk losing academic progress, particularly over the summer.¶
Tennesseans for Student Success said students across the state logged more than 550,000 minutes this summer, and more than 3 million minutes over the program’s history.¶
Each year, the competition crowns four champions, one each for elementary, middle, and high school, plus an overall winner who logs the most minutes in their division. Each earns a $1,000 college scholarship. This year’s four champions read a combined 85,159 minutes, more than 1,400 hours.¶
“It means a lot,” Martin said. “I really enjoy reading, and it was fun to set a high expectation this summer. It feels good to reach that goal.”¶
Martin is a repeat winner, having won the elementary division in 2023.¶
Reading for School and for Fun
Martin’s summer of reading began as a school plan. He balanced books assigned for school with books he chose for enjoyment, and he built a routine around them.¶
“We decided to do a summer of reading for school, so I read some books for school and some for fun,” Martin said. “I tried to wake up early and read most of the day.”¶
Reading also feeds his own writing. “I really enjoy reading good stories because they give me ideas for books that I write,” Martin said. “I also like reading nonfiction to learn about many different subjects.”¶
His favorite book of the summer was The Last Chance Detectives: Canyon Quest by Jim Ware, which he said has plenty of suspense, adventure, and mystery.¶
“Wesley set out on a summer of reading and ended up reading nearly eight hours a day, and he did it because he loves stories and loves learning. That’s exactly the habit Tristar Reads exists to encourage, and we’re proud to celebrate his years-long commitment to literacy,” Tennesseans for Student Success said in a statement.¶
