Motorcycles of all models, sizes and colors rolled onto the grounds of Lee-Jackson Elementary School on June 9 as the nonprofit organization Riders for Readers brought its message about the importance of books to young students.

Mathews resident Eric Engler, who organized the group, told the children that, even though they would never be able to go everywhere in the world or meet everyone in the world, they could learn all about other places and other people by reading.

Group members and other community leaders briefly told children why they read and what kind of reading they do. A state police special agent said he was able to build his motorcycle out of parts because he was able to read, while a dentist who teaches at a dental school said if he couldn’t read, he couldn’t have become a dentist. A chef said he gets all his ideas for cooking from reading cookbooks.

Mathews County Building Official Jamie Wilks held up the thick building code book and said, “Once yo...