MONTICELLO — Mississippi First Lady Melanie Musgrove visitedstudents here Wednesday as part of a tour to promote her “See theWorld, Read a Book” theme.

Musgrove, who taught 5th and 6th grade reading at PopeElementary for nine and a half years, visited all six LawrenceCounty schools during a full day’s tour.

“Her teaching background was very evident,” said Julie Wall,executive secretary to the superintendent and an organizer of theevent. “She was at ease with the students and they were at easewith her.”

The First Lady started her tour at Monticello Elementary School,where she read to the kindergartners and first graders. She read tosecond and third graders at Topeka Tilton School.

“She was well received at all the schools,” Wall said. “She wasa wonderful storyteller — very animated and dynamic.”

After the stories, Wall said, Musgrove spent time discussing, inan interactive atmosphere, the meaning of the story with thestudents.

The First Lady spoke with the older students while touring theother schools, but did not read to them.

The visit came in the midst of school testing, and the studentsmet the First Lady in groups rather than in an assembly. Shesupports reading by making personal appearances at schoolsthroughout the state while promoting her “See the World, Read aBook” theme.