Clay Aiken reads, sings to Pa. kids

NAZARETH, Pa. - Two girls fell out of their front row seats when "American Idol" runner-up

Lower Nazareth Elementary School students gathered Monday at the district high school's auditorium to celebrate 19 classmates who wrote, "Our Friend Mikayla," published earlier this year by the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which works on behalf of children with special needs.

Mikayla Resh, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was the subject of the biography, written and illustrated by her third-grade classmates two years ago. Her mother, Kimberly Resh, arranged the all-school assembly to thank them. The students were wide-eyed when Aiken, co-founder of the foundation, appeared.

Aiken, who was appearing Monday night at the State Theatre in Easton, read to the student body of more than 680 from the book, talked with the 19 authors, and posed for many photographs. To Mikayla, he sang a few lines from "When I See You Smile." Then he announced a final treat: limousines to take the students back to Lower Nazareth Elementary.

In the cars, boys popped open cans of soda and girls giggled. "Is this a dream?" said one boy, Michael Allen. "It is like the first time I'll be in a limo. It is so awesome!"

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Information from: The Express-Times, http://www.pennlive.com/expresstimes

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