"I just love reading," said the 7-year-old.

"I think I want to be a teacher and also work at a bookstore."

Kirsten was one of nearly 18,000 kids and teens who took part in ReadQuest 2004: A Treasure Hunt - the annual summer reading club sponsored by the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

As a reward for reading 100 books, her mother, Deidre Simpson, gave Kirsten a trip to Los Angeles and Mexico.

"She said her favorite book was Food and Festivals: Mexico, so I surprised her with a trip to Mexico," Deidre Simpson said. "She really had a ball. She met Natalie Cole and told her about how many books she had read."

Kirsten said she enjoyed the trip to Mexico the most.

"I had a chance to see the things I had read about. I liked the food in Tijuana, Mexico, especially the tacos. They taste better there. And I had a chance to speak the Spanish I have learned," Kirsten said.

Most of the books she read were children's books, ranging in pages from 20 to 100. She said the book on Mexico was about 24 pages.

She also read short biographies on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Other books included Arthur, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Froggy's First Kiss and Five Little Monkeys.

"Kirsten is such an inspiration to other children," said children's librarian Quvadus Kinney.

"She was a joy to have at the branch because of her enthusiasm and persistence. We all enjoyed helping her find the books she wanted, and cheering her on to her goal of reading 100."

Deidre Simpson is a reading facilitator at Heberle Elementary School, West End. Kirsten's father, Eric, is a loan officer for Fifth Third Bank.

Cardiac study

With a $350,000 grant, Terry Beery, an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, is launching a three-year study on genetic predictors of cardiac arrhythmias, which can produce irregular heartbeats and sudden death.

"I was always interested in what led them to get sick in the first place," Beery said.

"I wondered if we could help family members who had no symptoms but were identified as genetically susceptible to arrhythmias and treat them before they got sick."

She said her goal is to increase the availability of genetic testing to identify people at risk for cardiac arrhythmias.

The grant was provided by the National Institute of Nursing Research located in Bethesda, Md.

GIVING BACK: Blood donors

Damien Hinderer of Oldenburg, Ind., led the list of donors honored last week by Hoxworth Blood Center for donations from Aug. 11-14 that put them over 10 or more gallons of blood and platelets.

Hinderer has now donated 42 gallons.

Other donors who reached milestones were:

John K. Andrews, Mariemont, and Dan L. Snyder, West Chester, 24 gallons each.

Richard T. Specker, Bridgetown 22 gallons; and Thomas Maly, Price Hill, 20 gallons.

Thomas F. Morrison, Montgomery, and Virginia L. Brezinski, Sharonville, 18 gallons each.

Michael J. Zultoski, Mount Lookout, and Martin D. McLearen, Anderson Township, 17 gallons each.

Mary Bamberger, Highland Heights, 16 gallons; Margot Marples, Monroe, 15 gallons; and Nancy A. Moore, Loveland 14 gallons.

Robert E. Sehlhorst, Delhi Township, Ronald A. Riestenberg, Covedale, and Timothy B. Daugherty, Northside, 13 gallons each.

John F. Stehlin, Colerain Township; Michael L. Mucenski, Colerain Township; Nancy A. Miller, Loveland; and Francis X. Gastright, Fort Mitchell, 12 gallons each.

Mark E. Sharpshair, Sharonville, Paul G. Mollmann, White Oak, and Joseph D. Glassmeyer,Dillonville, 11 gallons each.

Robin A Bechtel, Finneytown, Judy M. Hoskins, Greenhills, and David F. McAfee, College Hill, 10 gallons each.