At the Beach Haven Elementary School, the magic number was 15,720. That figure represents the grand total of minutes read by all of the school’s 86 students during the recent Read Across America.

“It was for books read at school and at home,” said Katie Micek, second-grade teacher and event coordinator.

Launched in 1998 by the National Education Association and guided by a committee of educators, Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading.