‘Two Towers,’ 4,000 Readers

One read ruled them all.

Thousands of Los Angeles teens spent weeks reading “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” so they could be among the first moviegoers to see the latest film based on the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy and get a chance to win a trip to New Zealand, where the movie was shot.

But for county Probation Officer Wini Jackson, it was a chance to create a fellowship of lifelong readers who might take their attentions past Middle-earth and Frodo Baggins’ journey to other books.

“If you raise the bar, the children will come up to the bar,” Jackson said. “The whole country of New Zealand has just embraced these kids with such vigor, it’s amazing.”

Jackson started the “Reading With a Purpose to Gain a Dream” program last year when she enlisted 1,000 students to read the first Tolkien book and be rewarded with a free screening of “The Fellowship of the Ring.”

This year, 4,000 middle and high school students who read the 400-page “Two Towers”, were treated to the film and met the New Zealand consul-general, who delivered good wishes from his country’s prime minister.

The students, mostly from southern Los Angeles County and ranging in reading skills from remedial to honors level, got red-carpet treatment Wednesday at Norwalk AMC Cinemas, along with popcorn, hot dogs and soda.

Ninth-grader Andrea Wu of Glen A. Wilson High School and eighth-grade teacher Amber Dear of Cedarlane Middle School received trips for two to the island country where the crew and director Peter Jackson spent 18 months shooting principal photography for the three movies of the story of Baggins’ mission to destroy an evil ring.

Sponsored by the county Department of Probation and Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe’s office, the program involved several companies and organizations that donated everything from the books to the airfare and tours of the “Rings” filming sites.

“The great thing about it is that it’s about books, about reading, whatever the incentive might be,” Knabe said.

Many who participated were at-risk or identified as having reading problems. Some were from juvenile detention camps. But all shared a genuine excitement for reading.

“I would’ve read the book for no reason,” said seventh-grader Elgin Scott from St. Odilia Elementary School.