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Florida Attempts to Break Guinness Mass Reading Record

Florida Governor Jeb Bush, brother of U.S. President George W. Bush, has been encouraging school principals and teachers to sign up their schools and involve their students in the Breaking a World Record: Reading Aloud!" event overseen by the "Just Read, Florida!" Program. Middle schools around the entire state had already signed up to participate in Thursday`s event, which was set to be held for a half-hour, from 11:00 to 11:30 AM.

The previous Guinness World Record for the "Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple Locations" is 155,528. The "Reading Aloud!" event has already signed up approximately 250,000 students, spread over 470 schools, across the state of Florida. The attempt to break the record was to be broadcast live, via Webcast, from the Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida. Jeb Bush will lead the statewide "Reading Aloud!" event.

Governor Bush was to use an excerpt from the book, "Peter and the Starcatchers", written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, who were also be joining in on the event. "Not only is reading the key to learning and the foundation for success in school and life, but it is fun...I`m encouraged by the overwhelming number of students, principals, teachers and parents committed to making Florida the new Guinness World Record holder," Bush said.